Data signaling for wireless communication network

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a method of operating a receiving radio node in a wireless communication network. The method includes communicating utilising data signaling according to a signaling structure, the signaling structure including a signaling time interval covering a plurality of subsequent allocation units, wherein to each of the allocation units of the signaling time interval, there is associated reference signaling, or a part of one of one or more data blocks, wherein to two allocation units separated by a separation interval there is associated reference signaling. The disclosure also pertains to related devices and methods.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure pertains to wireless communication technology, inparticular for high frequencies.

BACKGROUND

For future wireless communication systems, use of higher frequencies isconsidered, which allows large bandwidths to be used for communication.However, use of such higher frequencies brings new problems, for exampleregarding physical properties and timing. Ubiquitous or almostubiquitous use of beamforming, with often comparatively small beams, mayprovide additional complications that need to be addressed.

SUMMARY

It is an object of this disclosure to provide improved approaches ofhandling wireless communication, in particular of data signaling. Theapproaches are particularly suitable for millimeter wave communication,in particular for radio carrier frequencies around and/or above 52.6GHz, which may be considered high radio frequencies (high frequency)and/or millimeter waves. The carrier frequency/ies may be between 52.6and 140 GHz, e.g. with a lower border between 52.6, 55, 60, 71 GHzand/or a higher border between 71, 72, 90, 114, 140 GHz or higher, inparticular between 55 and 90 GHz, or between 60 and 72 GHz; however,higher frequencies may be considered. The carrier frequency may inparticular refer to a center frequency or maximum frequency of thecarrier. The radio nodes and/or network described herein may operate inwideband, e.g. with a carrier bandwidth of 1 GHz or more, or 2 GHz ormore, or even larger, e.g. up to 8 GHz; the scheduled or allocatedbandwidth may be the carrier bandwidth, or be smaller, e.g. depending onchannel and/or procedure. In some cases, operation may be based on anOFDM waveform or a SC-FDM waveform (e.g., downlink and/or uplink), inparticular a FDF-SC-FDM-based waveform. However, operation based on asingle carrier waveform, e.g. SC-FDE (which may be pulse-shaped orFrequency Domain Filtered, e.g. based on modulation scheme and/or MCS),may be considered for downlink and/or uplink. In general, differentwaveforms may be used for different communication directions.Communicating using or utilising a carrier and/or beam may correspond tooperating using or utilising the carrier and/or beam, and/or maycomprise transmitting on the carrier and/or beam and/or receiving on thecarrier and/or beam.

The approaches are particularly advantageously implemented in a 5th or6th Generation (5G) telecommunication network or 5G radio accesstechnology or network (RAT/RAN), in particular according to 3GPP (3^(rd)Generation Partnership Project, a standardisation organization). Asuitable RAN may in particular be a RAN according to NR, for examplerelease 15 or later, or LTE Evolution. However, the approaches may alsobe used with other RAT, for example future 5.5G or 6G systems or IEEEbased systems.

There is disclosed a method of operating a radio node in a wirelesscommunication network. The method comprises communicating utilising datasignaling according to (and/or based on) a signaling structure. Thesignaling structure may comprise a signaling time interval covering aplurality of subsequent allocation units. To each of the allocationunits of the signaling time interval, there is associated referencesignaling, or a part of one of one or more data blocks, wherein to twoallocation units separated by a separation interval there is associatedreference signaling.

Moreover, a radio node for a wireless communication network is alsodescribed. The radio node is adapted for communicating utilising datasignaling according to (and/or based on) a signaling structure. Thesignaling structure may comprise a signaling time interval covering aplurality of subsequent allocation units. To each of the allocationunits of the signaling time interval, there is associated referencesignaling, or a part of one of one or more data blocks, wherein to twoallocation units separated by a separation interval there is associatedreference signaling.

The signaling structure may be considered to comprise, and/or represent,and/or consist of, a first allocation unit associated to referencesignaling (first reference unit) and a second allocation unit associatedto reference signaling (second reference unit), which are separated by a(first) separation interval. The (first) separation interval maycomprise, and/or consist of, and represent a number SI of allocationunits associated to data, e.g. each associated to a part of a datablock. A data block may span multiple allocation units, e.g. 2 or more,3 or more, 4 or more, 8 or more allocation units. To each allocationunit, a part of the data block may be associated. Signaling associatedto an allocation unit may be considered to represent and/or indicateand/or carry a part of a data block if the data block as a whole, or apart of it, can be (re)constructed based on the signaling. A part of adata block may in general represent, and/or be represented by, and/or beassociated to, signaling carrying and/or indicating the bits of the partof the data block (and/or derived therefrom), and/or signaling thatallow construction of the part or the data block, e.g. on its own, or incombination with other parts of the same data blocks (and/or theassociated signaling). It may be considered that to each data allocationunit, only one part of only one data block may be associated, e.g. apart of a code block, or of a code block bundle. Different parts of thesame data block may be associated to different allocation units;different data blocks or parts of different data blocks may beassociated to different allocation units or block of allocation units. Ablock of (data) allocation unit may comprise, and/or represent aninteger number of subsequent (data) allocation units associated to thesame data block; different allocation units of a block may be associatedto different parts of the data block.

The signaling structure may comprise, and/or represent, and/or consistof, and/or cover a number SN of allocation units (in particular,subsequent in time and/or continuous in time). SN may be larger than SI,in particular larger by 2. The first allocation unit (in time) of thesignaling structure or the signaling time interval may be associated toreference signaling; and/or the last allocation unit of the signalingstructure and/or the signaling time interval may be associated toreference signaling. SN may be 10 or larger. An allocation unitassociated to a part of a data block and/or a data block may in generalbe referred to as allocation unit associated to data, or data allocationunit. Different data allocation units may carry and/or be associated todifferent data, e.g. different parts of one data block and/or differentdata blocks.

The signaling time interval may (e.g., in time domain) comprise, and/orcontain, and/or consist of the plurality of subsequent allocation units.To each of the allocation units of the signaling time interval, theremay be associated reference signaling, or a data block, or part thereof.It may in general be considered that a data block is part of itself.Different parts of a data block may comprise and/or represent differentbits of the data block, e.g. information bits and/or coding bits. Ingeneral, a part of a data block may comprise and/or representinformation (payload) bits and/or coding bits. In some cases, a datablock may be represented by a code block; in other cases, a part of adata block may be a code block (e.g., if the data block comprises morethan one code block). The size of a code block or data block may berepresented or representable in bits, and/or in allocation units coveredby it or required to carry it. This may be dependent on, and/orassociated to bit size (e.g., in information bits, or information bitsand error detection bits, and/or information bits and error detectionand correction bits, depending on reference used) and/or bandwidthand/or MCS, in particular modulation; alternatively, or additionally,the bit size may be associated to and/or based on the number of symbolsavailable. A code rate may indicate how many coding bits are used (highcode rate may indicate low number of coding bits). The coding bits maybe error coding bits, in particular for error detection coding (e.g.,CRC) and/or error correction coding, e.g. FEC like polar coding and/orLPDC based coding or Muller-Reed coding or Turbo coding or similar. Todifferent data blocks, there may associated the same code rate, or insome cases, different code rates. The associated code rate may be amaximum code rate. To each allocation unit, different parts of the datablocks may be associated, e.g. such that each allocation unit notcarrying and/or not associated to reference signaling carries adifferent part. A data block may be mapped to, and/or associated to aninteger number of allocation units. It may be considered that noallocation unit is associated to parts of different data blocks, or todifferent data blocks. Different parts of the same data block may bemapped to subsequent (in time) and/or neighbouring allocation units. Theseparation interval may cover and/or consist of 4 or more, or 6 or more,or 8 or more, or 10 or more allocation units (in time domain). Twosubsequent allocation units may in general be arranged such that theyshare a border in time domain, such that an earlier allocation unit endswhen the later subsequent allocation unit begins. A series of subsequentallocation units may represent the separation interval, e.g., in thenumbers discussed above. Subsequent allocation units may be consideredcontinuous in time. It may be considered that the signaling structurecomprises a third allocation unit associated to reference signaling,e.g. separated in time from the later of the two allocation unitsassociated to reference signaling by a second separation interval, whichmay be of the same duration (e.g., in number of allocation units) orlonger or shorter than the (first) separation interval.

The separation interval may comprise one or more (e.g., an integernumber SI) allocation units, and/or have an extension in time domainlonger than the duration of one allocation units. In general, anallocation unit may correspond to a symbol time duration, e.g. of anOFDM symbol and/or SC-FDM symbol. The data signaling may utilise anOFDM-based waveform, in particular a SC-FDM based waveform. A data blockmay comprise, and/or consist of, one or more code blocks; code blocksmay be associated to data blocks and/or allocation units according to,and/or based on, a code block distribution. The code block distributionand/or signaling structure may be indicated to a wireless device (e.g.,by a network node, which itself may be a receiving or signaling radionode), e.g. with control signaling, e.g. physical layer controlsignaling, e.g. on a physical control channel, and/or with higher layersignaling. The indication may be explicit, or implicit. For example, theposition and/or arrangement of reference signaling may be indicated,based on which the wireless device may determine the data blocks, e.g.position and/or size and/or number and/or, number and/or size of codeblocks in the signaling structure and/or a data block and/or perallocation unit.

An allocation unit may be considered associated to signaling and/or adata block (or part thereof) if it carries and/or is intended to carrythe signaling, e.g. reference signaling) and/or signaling representingthe data block. For example, information and/or coding bits associatedto a data block or part thereof may be mapped to the allocation unit,e.g. in time and/or frequency and/or code domain. The allocation unitmay carry may be intended to carry one or more modulation symbolsrepresenting information of the data block (e.g., information/payloadand/or coding bits).

Communicating utilising data signaling based on and/o according to thesignaling structure may comprise transmitting signaling such that itfollows the structure, and/or receiving signaling assuming that itfollows the structure. In particular, receiving may comprise monitoringthe allocation units associated to reference signaling for referencesignaling, e.g., to demodulate and/or decode the data blocks.

The approaches described herein allow full use of resources whentransmitting data signaling, by covering all allocation units of thesignaling time interval with signaling. In particularly, data may evenlyfit upon all allocation units of the separation interval. The size ofdata blocks and/or code blocks may be such that an integer number fitsinto the separation interval, without leaving an allocation unit of theseparation interval without associated part of a data block (e.g.,empty). Thus, resource use is optimised. Code block size (a code blockmay be considered a subblock of a data block or code block bundle)and/or data block size may be from a set of sizes allowing such mappingand/or code block distribution.

It may be considered that each of the one or more data blockscorresponds to a code block bundle (CBB). The CBB may comprise one ormore code blocks. It may be considered that different CBBs have the samesize; in some cases, different CBBs may have different sizes. The sizeof a CBB may be represented or representable in number of code blocksand/or bits. Different sizes may be due to different modulation used.Same-sized data blocks or code blocks or CBBs in general (at least ifthe same modulation and/or MCS is used) may comprise and/or representthe same number of information bits (also referred to as payload or userbits) and/or code rate. However, in some cases, e.g. if referencesignaling is embedded in time domain in a data block, same-sized codeblocks and/or CBBs or data blocks may have different number ofinformation bits and/or code rate.

It may be considered that the duration (e.g., in number of allocationunits) of the separation interval may be dependent on the number of datablocks and/or size of data blocks (and/or size of a code block or codeblock bundle), and/or a modulation and/or coding scheme used fortransmitting the data signaling, in particular the data blocks. Thus,the duration can be adapted to be filled with allocation unitsassociated to data.

Alternatively, or additionally, the number of data blocks and/or size ofone or more of the data blocks (and/or of a code block or code blockbundle) may be dependent on a modulation and/or coding scheme (MCS) usedfor transmitting the data signaling, in particular the data blocks. Themodulation and/or coding scheme may in particular refer to themodulation (e.g., QPSK, n-QAM) and/or number of constellation points permodulation symbol and/or the error coding used, in particular the errorcorrection coding. Parts of the same data block may be transmitted withthe same modulation and/or coding scheme. Different data blocks may betransmitted with the same or different schemes, in particular re:modulation and/or coding. Thus, optimised transmission and resourceutilisation may be provided.

In general, the number of data blocks and/or the size of the one or moredata blocks is from a set of numbers containing numbers dividing thenumber of allocation units of the separation interval, e.g. withoutrest, and/or such that the number of allocation units of the separationinterval is an integer multiple (1 or more) of each of the numbers ofthe set (each of the numbers of the set may be an integer number; thenumbers may be different; the set may comprise one or more numbers). Thelargest number of the set may be equal to the number of allocation units(SI) of the separation interval.

It may be considered that the reference signaling may be and/or compriseDemodulation Reference Signaling, DMRS, associated to the data blocks.The DMRS may be considered associated to the data blocks if it allowsand/or is intended to allow demodulation of the signaling associated tothe data blocks. In some cases, the reference signaling mayalternatively, or additionally, comprise a second form of referencesignaling, e.g. user-specific RS and/or Phase-Tracking (PT) ReferenceSignaling, and/or time tracking (TT) Reference Signaling. In particular,a first reference allocation unit may be associated to DMRS, and asecond or third may be associated to PT-RS. The second type of RS allowsgreat flexibility, and/or may facilitate phase correction and/or timingcorrection, e.g. to handle large path delays.

In general, to each data allocation unit, there may be associated acyclic prefix (depending on waveform), which may lead in time domain.DMRS on different reference allocation units may be based on the same ordifferent sequences, and/or may have the same or different cyclic shift.If the same form of DMRS is used, it may be easier to provide highsignal resolution; different forms may help to overcome stronglyfluctuating interferences.

It may be considered that the signaling structure is part of an extendedsignaling structure comprising one or more additional allocation unitsassociated to reference signaling, e.g. a third reference allocationunit. A second separation interval may be between the second and thirdreference allocation units. The extended signaling structure maycomprise and/or consist of and/or be represented by subsequent and/orcontinuous allocation units, and/or may comprise additional dataallocation units, e.g. in a second separation interval. Multipleadditional reference allocation units and/or separation intervals may beconsidered. The separation intervals may have the same or differentsizes. It may be considered that the duration of the extended signalingstructure is unspecified (e.g., when scheduled or configured to awireless device). Thus, long transmission durations may be achieved.

It may be considered that one allocation unit associated to referencesignaling is embedded, in time domain, into one data block, and/orbetween two data blocks. In particular, the embedded allocation unit maynot be associated to data. If it is embedded between two data blocks,the later data block of the two may be associated to a second separationinterval, the earlier may be associated to a first separation interval.An allocation unit embedded into one data block may be neighboured atboth sides in time by allocation units associated to the data block. Anallocation unit embedded between two data block may be neighboured onboth sides in time domain by allocation units associated to one of thetwo data blocks. If embedded into one data block, a part of the datablock may be fit into the separation interval, and extend the signalingstructure beyond the reference allocation unit embedded. Thus, a givendata block size may be used even if no integer number of data blocks fitinto the separation interval without leaving a gap.

It may be considered that the data blocks may be transmitted with thesame modulation and coding scheme. This simplifies reception, ascircuitry does not have to be adapted to handle shifting transmissionparameters. However, in some cases, e.g. if the data blocks represent amix of newly transmitted data and retransmissions, it may be useful touse different MCS for different data blocks and/or code block bundles.

In general, the separation interval may be dependent and/or based on thenumber of data blocks and/or the size of the data blocks and/or themodulation and/or coding scheme the data blocks are transmitted withand/or a code block size. The dependency may be in regard to position ofthe first reference allocation unit and/or the second referenceallocation unit and/or the duration and/or the location in a frame orsubframe structure, e.g. the position of the first allocation unit ofthe signaling structure.

In some cases, the position in time domain of one or more of theallocation units associated to reference signaling (e.g., the firstand/or second reference allocation unit) may be dependent on, and/orbased on, the number of data blocks and/or the size of the data blocksand/or code block and/or the modulation and/or coding scheme the datablocks are transmitted with. In particular, the position of a secondreference allocation unit may be shifted or shiftable to accommodate aninteger number of data blocks, without leaving an empty allocation unitin the separation interval.

It may be considered that each data block (and/or code block and/or codeblock bundle) may be associated to a different acknowledgement signalingprocess. Different processes may be associated to different process IDsand/or data (sub-) streams and/or transmission layers and/or buffers(e.g., for soft combining).

In general, it may be considered that a code block represents a part ofa data block and/or CBB. A part of a data block associated to anallocation unit may be a code block, or a different part (e.g., smalleror larger than one code block, and/or comprising parts of more than onecode block).

The radio node or wireless device may comprise, and/or be adapted toutilise, processing circuitry and/or radio circuitry, in particular atransmitter and/or transceiver and/or receiver, for processing and/orperforming measurements and/or transmitting and/or receiving and/orcommunicating based on a signaling structure. The radio node may beimplemented as wireless device, e.g. a terminal or user equipment.Alternatively, a radio node may be implemented as network node, e.g. abase station or IAB node or relay node. A radio node adapted fortransmitting data signaling may be considered an example of a signalingradio node. A radio node adapted for receiving data signaling may beconsidered an example of a receiving radio node, or in some cases of afeedback radio node.

Communicating based on the signaling structure may comprise processinginformation and/or signaling according to the signaling structure, e.g.mapping samples to symbols according to the signaling structure.Communicating may generally be based on one from a set of differentsubcarrier spacings and/or numerologies and/or symbol time durations.

Communication may be based on TDD. Communicating may in general comprisetransmitting and/or receiving signaling, e.g. data signaling.Communicating utilising or using data signaling may comprisetransmitting or receiving data signaling, e.g. data signaling beingtransmitted according to the code block distribution. A node beingconfigured for data signaling may be considered to be set up with,and/or provided with a configuration or indication of a code blockdistribution, and/or provided with the code block distribution and/orassociated mapping, and/or the associated resource structure/s, e.g.with control signaling, e.g. physical layer signaling or higher layersignaling, in particular with scheduling assignment/s and/or grant/sand/or resource configuration using higher layer signaling, e.g. RRCsignaling configuring resources for data signaling (and/or indicatingthe CB distribution, e.g. indicating a Code block bundle size, and/or CBand/or BS as discussed herein). A node being configured for indicationsignaling may be considered to be set up with, and/or provided with aconfiguration or indication of the code block distribution, and/orprovided with the code block distribution and/or associated mapping,e.g. with control signaling, e.g. physical layer signaling or higherlayer signaling. In general, a code block distribution may map all codeblocks of a code block bundle to the allocation units of a (e.g., thesame, like the first or a second) signaling resource structure.

The data signaling may in particular be signaling on a data channel likePUSCH or PSSCH or PDSCH. The data signaling may be uplink or downlink orsidelink signaling; the type of communication (e.g., transmitting orreceiving) performed by a specific node in regard to the data signalingmay be corresponding to the type or direction of signaling.

It may be considered that each signaling resource structure may compriseBS data allocation units, to which CB code blocks or CB×CN code blocksmay be mapped. The CB code blocks may represent, and/or be comprised in,one code block bundle. CB, N and BS may be integer numbers of 1 orlarger. CN may represent the number of CBBs in the separation interval.

It may be considered that communicating may comprise transmitting and/orreceiving data signaling on at least one signaling resource structure.

Alternatively, or additionally, the method of operating a radio node ina wireless communication network may comprise transmitting datasignaling in a signaling time interval, wherein an integer number CB ofcode blocks of data are associated to an integer number BS of allocationunits of the signaling time interval, and/or wherein a (or each) CBB ismapped to, and/or carried by an integer number of allocation units.

Alternatively, or additionally, a radio node for a wirelesscommunication network may be adapted for transmitting data signaling ina signaling time interval, wherein an integer number CB of code blocksof data are associated to an integer number BS of allocation units ofthe signaling time interval, and/or wherein a CBB is mapped to, and/orcarried by an integer number of allocation units.

The radio node may comprise, and/or be adapted to utilise, processingcircuitry and/or radio circuitry, in particular a transmitter and/ortransceiver and/o receiver, for transmitting and/or receiving the datasignaling and/or mapping the code block/s to allocation units and/or forhigher layer processing and/or for modulating and/or demodulating thedata signaling and/or transmitting and/or receiving the DMRS. The radionode may be a network node like a base station or relay node or atransmission point or transmission and reception point, or may beimplemented as wireless device like a terminal or user equipment.

A feedback or receiving radio node in general may be configured, e.g. bya network or a radio node, in particular a signaling radio node. Thedata signaling and/or code block bundle/s and/or signaling resourcestructure or structures may be configured with control information orcontrol signaling, e.g. with physical layer signaling, e.g. on aphysical control channel like PDCCH or PSCCH (for example, it may bescheduled, e.g. with one or more scheduling assignments or schedulinggrants), and/or with higher layer signaling, e.g. RRC layer or MAC layersignaling, which may for example be mapped to a data channel, like PDSCHor PSSCH or similar. The indication signaling and/or indication resourcestructure may be configured with control information or controlsignaling, e.g. with physical layer signaling, e.g. on a physicalcontrol channel like PDCCH or PSCCH (for example, it may be scheduled ortriggered, e.g. with one or more scheduling assignments or schedulinggrants), and/or with higher layer signaling, e.g. RRC layer or MAC layersignaling, which may for example be mapped to a data channel, like PDSCHor PSSCH or similar.

A receiving radio node may comprise, and/or be adapted to utilise,processing circuitry and/or radio circuitry, in particular a receiverand/or transceiver, for receiving the data signaling and/or extractingthe code block/s from allocation unit/s and/or for higher layerprocessing and/or for demodulating and/or decoding the signaling, e.g.based on DMRS. The receiving radio node may be a network node like abase station or relay node or a reception point or transmission andreception point, or may be implemented as wireless device like aterminal or user equipment. A receiving radio node may generally beadapted to receive signaling from the signaling radio node, e.g. datasignaling and/or controls signaling, and/or signaling indicating orconfiguring the code block bundle and/or signaling resource structure/sand/or indication resource structure.

The signaling time interval may in general comprise and/or cover and/orconsist of an integer multiple of BS. The CB code blocks may beconsidered to represent and/or implement a code block bundle. A codeblock distribution may be represented and/or indicated and/or configuredby information indicating mapping code block/s to a signaling resourcestructure, e.g. in the abstract or a specific resource structure, e.g.the first signaling resource structure. The distribution may inparticular be indicated or configured with physical layer signalingand/or higher layer signaling, e.g. RRC or MAC signaling.

Receiving data signaling may comprise and/or be based on decoding and/ordemodulating data signaling, e.g. based on a configuration and/orscheduling information. Data signaling may be configured and/orscheduled for transmission and/or reception, e.g. by the network or anetwork node, for example with physical layer signaling and/or higherlayer signaling. For example, a network node as signaling radio node mayconfigure and/or schedule data signaling to be received by a wirelessdevice, or as a receiving node, it may schedule or configure datasignaling to be transmitted by a wireless device. Receiving may be basedon the assumption that code blocks are mapped to allocation units asdescribed herein. Transmitting data signaling may be based on and/orcomprise, mapping information or data or corresponding bits to codeblocks and/or allocation units, e.g. based on a modulation scheme and/orscheduling and/or operating conditions. A network node may be adapted toschedule and/or configure data signaling.

The data signaling may be signaling on a data channel, in particular aphysical data channel like a PUSCH or PDSCH or PSSCH (depending, e.g.,on the implementation of the signaling radio node and/or the receivingradio node). The data signaling may be beamformed. The data signalingmay be at one occasion (e.g., one transmission of PUSCH or PDSCH), ordistributed over several occasions, potentially with interruptions.

The BS allocation units (and/or allocation units of a resource structurelike a signaling resource structure and/or indication resourcestructure) may be contiguous in time domain, e.g. such that eachallocation unit of the BS allocation unit neighbors two other allocationunits of the BS allocation, with the exception of border allocationunits, which may only neighbor one allocation unit of the BS allocationunits (and border another allocation unit not carrying bits of the CBcode blocks, assuming BS is large enough.

CB code blocks being associated to BS allocation units may refer to thecode block/s and/or associated error coding, and/or error encoded codeblocks being contained in the BS allocation units. BS may be 1 or largerthan 1. CB may be 1 or larger than 1. The value/s of CB and/or BS maydiffer between transmissions and/or code block groups (each CB maybelong to only one group). Thus, after CB code blocks have beentransmitted in BS allocation units, different values for CB and/or BSmay be used. In general, CB and/or BS may be based on operatingconditions and/or network load and/or signal quality and/or signalstrength (e.g., quality and/or strength based on measurement reports)and/or buffer status (e.g., of a buffer storing incoming user data).

It may be considered that a code block comprises, and/or is associatedto error coding, e.g. error detection coding (like parity coding and/orCRC) and/or error correction coding (e.g., FEC, like polar coding and/orturbo coding and/or LDPC). The bits for error coding and/or the bitsrepresenting the error coded code block/s of the BS allocation units maybe mapped to the BS allocation units, representing the CB code blocksbeing associated to the BS allocation units.

It may be considered that in some variants, one code block may becontained in one allocation unit (in particular, only one code block,possibly including error coding or the error encoded representation), orone code block may occupy multiple allocation units; for example, onecode block (in particular, only one code block, plus possibly errorcoding or the error encoded representation) may fully occupy themultiple allocation units, for example if one allocation unit is notsufficient. The code block size may in general be determined to allowsuch mapping to one or more allocation units.

In general, a code block size (e.g., in bits and/or considering errorcoding) and/or number of allocation units for a code block may beimplicitly or explicitly signaling, e.g. from transmitter to receiver,and/or from receiver to transmitter (e.g., a network node indicatingsize and/or number of allocation units to a wireless device).

It may be considered that to a code block or CBB, there is mapped (e.g.,exactly) one packet data unit from at least one higher layer, forexample a MAC (Medium Access Control) layer and/or an RLC (Radio LinkControl) layer. Each packet data unit may comprise layer-specific headerinformation. With this approach, parallel processing is facilitated evenin the higher layers. In particular, a receiver may pass such structuredinformation to higher layers, and/or a transmitter may pass informationdownwards from higher layers to the physical layer. Code blocks may bemapped to allocation units on a physical layer.

In some variants, the data signaling may comprise a plurality of codeblocks, with independent error detection coding and/or error correctioncoding for each code block. Thus, error coding may only pertain to onecode block, allow quick independent processing of code blocks.

It may be considered that the data signaling comprises a plurality ofcode blocks, wherein no collective error detection coding and/or errorcorrection coding is included in and/or associated to the datasignaling. The signaling may omit error coding covering more than onecode block. For example, transport block level error coding may beomitted. Thus, fully independent or parallel processing is facilitated.

Each code block of the data signaling may be either contained in oneallocation unit, or occupy multiple allocation units. It may beconsidered that no allocation unit contains more than one code block.

In some cases, BS allocation units may comprise CB code blocks, whereinthe CB code blocks may have the same size (e.g., in bits, and/or theirrepresentation may have the same size, e.g. allowing for error coding).

It may be considered that BS allocation units comprise CB code blocks,wherein code blocks of the CB code blocks have different sizes. Thisallows flexible filling of allocation units, and may make paddingunnecessary.

The number of code blocks per allocation unit and/or code block size(end or size of error coded representation) may be based on modulationscheme and/or coding scheme and/or MCS and/or bandwidth. Thus, adaptionto different operation condition is facilitated, with optimised codeblock sizes.

A code block may in general represent bits of information (e.g., userdata and/or payload) and/or error coding, and/or may be represented by acorresponding bit sequence. A code block (e.g., its bits orrepresentation) may be mapped to one or more modulation symbolscontained in the one or more allocation units (e.g., depending onmodulation and/or coding scheme and/or bandwidth and/or waveform). Theallocation unit may in some cases contain reference signaling, e.g.phase tracking reference signaling, which may for example be included asa sequence, e.g. in a fixed and/or predefined and/or configured orconfigurable location (e.g. in time domain) of the allocation unit.Control information like header information and/or similar from higherlayers may be represented by the information bits of the code block. Ingeneral, a code block may be padded (e.g. with zeros or ones) to allowoccupying an allocation unit, e.g. if the code block size otherwise istoo small to fully occupy one allocation unit. Alternatively, paddingsignaling may be used, e.g. padding symbols associated to the allocationunit not completely filled by a code block and/or its error codedrepresentation. An error coded representation of a code block maycomprise bits representing the information of the code block and/orerror detection coding and/or error correction coding; the informationbits may be directly included, or transformed (e.g., when using polarcoding for FEC).

A receiving radio node or wireless device may comprise, and/or beadapted to utilise, processing circuitry and/or radio circuitry, inparticular a transmitter and/or transceiver and/or receiver, forprocessing and/or transmitting acknowledgement information or signalingand/or data signaling, and/or for receiving subject transmission and/orcontrol information messages like scheduling assignments and/orscheduling grant/s and/or data signaling, e.g. from a network node. Thereceiving radio node may be implemented as wireless device, e.g. aterminal or user equipment. However, in some scenarios, e.g. a backhaulscenario, it may be implemented as network node, e.g. a base station orIAB node or relay node.

A signaling radio node may comprise, and/or be adapted to utilise,processing circuitry and/or radio circuitry, in particular a transmitterand/or transceiver and/or receiver, for processing and/or receivingacknowledgement information or signaling or feedback signaling, and/ortransmitting subject transmission like data signaling and/or controlinformation messages like scheduling assignments and/or schedulinggrant/s, e.g. from a network node. The signaling radio node may inparticular be implemented as network node, e.g. a base station or IABnode or relay node. However, in some cases, e.g. sidelink scenarios, itmay be implemented as wireless device or terminal.

There is also described a program product comprising instructionscausing processing circuitry to control and/or perform a method asdescribed herein. Moreover, a carrier medium arrangement carrying and/orstoring a program product as described herein is considered. Aninformation system comprising, and/or connected or connectable, to aradio node is also disclosed.

The data signaling may be associated to a data channel, and/or apriority level. Different data signaling may be associated to adifferent data channel, or a different priority level, e.g. for URLLC orother high priority signaling.

Transmission parameters may comprise in particular frequency resourcesand/or start (in time domain, e.g. in which allocation unit) and/ormodulation and/or coding (in particular, modulation and coding scheme)and/or code rate and/or beam parameters, e.g. pertaining to the beam inwhich the data signaling is transmitted) and/or MIMO parameter/s and/orparameter/s indicating an arrangement of code blocks of the datasignaling, and/or information regarding reception, e.g. antenna and/orbeams for reception, and/or information indicative of a beam pair to usefor transmission and/or reception.

An unspecified duration may indicate that the data signaling will betransmitted until an unspecified end, such that a receiver may have tolisten and/or monitor resources accordingly. The end may be unspecifiedwhen starting, and/or the resources (in particular in time domain) to bemonitored or used may be unspecified when starting or triggering thedata signaling transmission. The unspecified duration may be within atransmission phase, e.g. a downlink transmission phase, for example in aTDD system. The transmission may utilise a single-carrier basedwaveform. The unspecified duration may extend at least over a pluralityof allocation units, in particular at least over 10, or at least 20, orat least 50, or at least 100 allocation units, e.g. block symbols. Thereceiving radio node may be expected to be ready to monitor for, and/orreceive, data signaling and/or a stop or end and/or interruptionindication. The timing for transmission and reception may be shiftedrelative to each other due to path traveling effects; however, the timestructure of signaling may be considered to be essentially the same fortransmitter and receiver.

It may be considered that the data signaling extends over a plurality ofallocation units, in particular at least 10, or at least 20, or at least50 or at least 100, or at least 200. Alternatively, or additionally, thedata signaling may extend over at least a subframe, which may forexample have a predefined duration, e.g. 1 ms.

In some variants, the data signaling indication may indicate a minimumduration of the data signaling. Such indication may for example beprovided with physical layer control signaling, e.g. in a message orsignaling format triggering the data signaling reception and/orindicating the start of the data signaling. Such indication may forexample be provided based on a buffer status of the signaling radionode, allowing more predictable behaviour and monitoring.

It may be considered that a last allocation unit carrying data signalingmay be padded. This may ensure the same processing structure can be usedfor all allocation units. The padding may ensure that the allocationunit carries the same number of bits as the other allocation units onwhich data signaling is transmitted.

It may be considered that the data signaling is transmitted usingconstant transmission parameters, e.g. constant over the transmissiontime. Such parameters may in particular indicate modulation and/orcoding and/or modulation and coding scheme and/or transmission powerand/or reference signaling density and/or bandwidth and/or frequencyresources (e.g., bandwidth part and/or carrier) and/or waveform. Thus,the receiving radio node does not have to change associated receptionparameters and/or circuitry settings.

A code block may in general represent bits of information (e.g., userdata and/or payload) and/or error coding, and/or may be represented by acorresponding bit sequence. A code block (e.g., its bits orrepresentation) may be mapped to one or more modulation symbolscontained in the one or more allocation units (e.g., depending onmodulation and/or coding scheme and/or bandwidth and/or waveform). Theallocation unit may in some cases contain reference signaling, e.g.phase tracking reference signaling, which may for example be included asa sequence, e.g. in a fixed and/or predefined and/or configured orconfigurable location (e.g. in time domain) of the allocation unit.Control information like header information and/or similar from higherlayers may be represented by the information bits of the code block. Ingeneral, a code block may be padded (e.g. with zeros or ones) to allowoccupying an allocation unit, e.g. if the code block size otherwise istoo small to fully occupy one allocation unit. Alternatively, paddingsignaling may be used, e.g. padding symbols associated to the allocationunit not completely filled by a code block and/or its error codedrepresentation. An error coded representation of a code block maycomprise bits representing the information of the code block and/orerror detection coding and/or error correction coding; the informationbits may be directly included, or transformed (e.g., when using polarcoding for FEC). A code block bundle (CBB) may comprise a plurality ofcode blocks; the code blocks in a CBB may be encoded separately, e.g.such that there is no common error correction coding covering the CBB.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings are provided to illustrate concepts and approachesdescribed herein, and are not intended to limit their scope. Thedrawings comprise:

FIG. 1, showing exemplary data signaling scenarios;

FIG. 2, showing further exemplary data signaling scenarios;

FIG. 3, showing even further exemplary data signaling scenarios;

FIG. 4, showing an exemplary (e.g., receiving) radio node; and

FIG. 5, showing another exemplary (e.g., transmitting) radio node.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In following discussion pertaining to the figures, reference may be madeto Symbols. A symbol in this context may be considered an example of anallocation unit or block symbol, and these terms may be usedinterchangeably, e.g. for different waveforms. Also, reference is madeto code blocks (CBs); however, analogous approaches may be assumed forCBB. The size of a code block (or CBB) may be represented by the numberof symbols or allocation units it covers (which may depend on the sizein bits, and/or bandwidth available for transmission of the data and/orthe MCS).

It may be generally considered that Symbols (allocation units) per CBmay depend on bandwidth and MCS. At poor channel conditions, the numberof bits/symbol can be lower than wanted, e.g. given LDPC block sizeand/or reasonable MAC header overhead. In this case, the CB (or a CBB)may span over more than one symbol.

It may be considered:

If BPS<CB_min: CB_symb=ceil(CB_size_min/BPS);

TBS/CBB size=CB_symb*BPS;

Wherein:

BPS=Bits per symbol given by MCS and bandwidth;

CB_size_min=Min CB-size for one symbol

e.g., derived from min LDPC block size and reasonable MAC headeroverhead this may be a configurable or fixed value, e.g. [500] bits

CB_symb: Number of symbols per CB

In the Figures, different examples of signaling structures are shown,with symbols representing allocation units and numbered increasing from0. Each square represents one symbol in a signaling structure and/ortiming structure in which the signaling structure is embedded. Emptysquares may be considered outside the signaling structure and may beassociated to other signaling and/or not carry signaling; shaded squaresrepresent symbols of the signaling structure carrying data (associatedto data, e.g. carrying part of a data block or CB or CBB), full squarecarry DMRS as reference signaling; striped squares are symbols in aseparation interval not carrying data, which may be avoided according tothis disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows exemplary data signaling scenario, with an exemplary fixedDMRS period. The time between two DMRS may be considered a separationinterval. It may generally be considered that (target) DMRS positionsand/or period (e.g., in number of symbols) may be determined and/orconfigured and/or configurable independently of a (target) code blocksize and/or CBB size. Proposals are provided for shifting or adaptingtarget values for optimised resource use.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, exemplary first reference allocation units maybe in symbol 0, and second reference allocation units in symbol 10,leaving an interval for data of 9 symbols. Symbols carrying data areshaded in different colors (neighbouring symbols of the same shadebelong to the same CB). Diagonally striped symbols may have to be leftempty, as no complete CB may be fit on these before the next DMRS. Thus,for a fixed DMRS period, it may occur that end symbols that don't go upevenly with the DMRS period are not used. Enhancements are proposed tomake use of all symbols. In general, a next bigger CB or CBB size thatevenly fits in the DMRS period may be used. It may be considered thatthe CB size may not exceed a maximum size, e.g. a configured orpredefined maximum.

Alternatively, a next smaller CB/CBB size that evenly fits in the DMRSperiod may be used. It may be considered that the CB/CBB size may not besmaller than a minimum size. Alternatively, or additionally, there maybe defined a limited set of CB and/or CBB sizes; a DM-RS pattern(representing, for example, first reference allocation unit and/orsecond allocation unit, and/or their respective position/s, and/orduration of the separation interval) may be allocated in integermultiple of those.

It may be considered:

DMRS period=(x*Supported CBB/CB size)+1=Duration of the separationinterval−1

And/or

A limited set of DMRS patterns may be provided

And/or

Only use CB/CBB sizes that evenly fit

For example:

DMRS period: (x*9)+1. CB/CBB size: 1, 3 and 9 symbols

DMRS period: (x*6)+1. CB/CBB size: 1, 2, 3 and 6 symbols

In some cases, it may be considered to let a CB or CBB span over a DMRS,for example as shown in the bottom row of FIG. 1. Herein, a DMRS (secondreference allocation unit) is embedded in a CB (representing a datablock), which extends beyond the DMRS. It may be considered that thesame MCS may be used as for the other data (before the DMRS), but for ahigher code rate (CR). If the CR is too high (e.g., larger than, orlarger than or equal to, a threshold), the CB/CBB may be skipped.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show exemplary data signaling scenarios with variable DMRSpositions. The position first or leading reference allocation unitexemplified by the first DMRS symbol, and/or of the second or trailingreference allocation unit exemplified by the second DMRS symbol actuallyused may provide even fit of data allocation units and/or may deviatefrom a wanted and/or configured or configurable or indicated one, e.g.based on data block size and/or CB size and/or CBB size (in symbols), Inparticular, the first reference allocation unit may be preceding, and/orneighbouring in time to, a (subsequent) first of the data allocationunits, and/or the second reference allocation unit may be following orsubsequent to, and/or be neighbouring to, a last data allocation unit inthe separation interval between the reference allocation units. Theconfigured or wanted or configurable position may for example be basedon a period, from which the actual position may deviate or be shiftedbased on the data block size (e.g., CB size or CBB size, e.g. measuredin symbols or allocation units).

FIG. 4 schematically shows a radio node, in particular a wireless deviceor terminal 10 or a UE (User Equipment). Radio node 10 comprisesprocessing circuitry (which may also be referred to as controlcircuitry) 20, which may comprise a controller connected to a memory.Any module of the radio node 10, e.g. a communicating module ordetermining module, may be implemented in and/or executable by, theprocessing circuitry 20, in particular as module in the controller.Radio node 10 also comprises radio circuitry 22 providing receiving andtransmitting or transceiving functionality (e.g., one or moretransmitters and/or receivers and/or transceivers), the radio circuitry22 being connected or connectable to the processing circuitry. Anantenna circuitry 24 of the radio node 10 is connected or connectable tothe radio circuitry 22 to collect or send and/or amplify signals. Radiocircuitry 22 and the processing circuitry 20 controlling it areconfigured for cellular communication with a network, e.g. a RAN asdescribed herein, and/or for sidelink communication (which may be withincoverage of the cellular network, or out of coverage; and/or may beconsidered non-cellular communication and/or be associated to anon-cellular wireless communication network). Radio node 10 maygenerally be adapted to carry out any of the methods of operating aradio node like terminal or UE disclosed herein; in particular, it maycomprise corresponding circuitry, e.g. processing circuitry, and/ormodules, e.g. software modules. It may be considered that the radio node10 comprises, and/or is connected or connectable, to a power supply.

FIG. 5 schematically show a (signaling) radio node 100, which may inparticular be implemented as a network node 100, for example an eNB orgNB or similar for NR. Radio node 100 comprises processing circuitry(which may also be referred to as control circuitry) 120, which maycomprise a controller connected to a memory. Any module, e.g.transmitting module and/or receiving module and/or configuring module ofthe node 100 may be implemented in and/or executable by the processingcircuitry 120. The processing circuitry 120 is connected to controlradio circuitry 122 of the node 100, which provides receiver andtransmitter and/or transceiver functionality (e.g., comprising one ormore transmitters and/or receivers and/or transceivers). An antennacircuitry 124 may be connected or connectable to radio circuitry 122 forsignal reception or transmittance and/or amplification. Node 100 may beadapted to carry out any of the methods for operating a radio node ornetwork node disclosed herein; in particular, it may comprisecorresponding circuitry, e.g. processing circuitry, and/or modules. Theantenna circuitry 124 may be connected to and/or comprise an antennaarray. The node 100, respectively its circuitry, may be adapted toperform any of the methods of operating a network node or a radio nodeas described herein; in particular, it may comprise correspondingcircuitry, e.g. processing circuitry, and/or modules. The radio node 100may generally comprise communication circuitry, e.g. for communicationwith another network node, like a radio node, and/or with a core networkand/or an internet or local net, in particular with an informationsystem, which may provide information and/or data to be transmitted to auser equipment.

In general, a block symbol may represent and/or correspond to anextension in time domain, e.g. a time interval. A block symbol duration(the length of the time interval) may correspond to the duration of anOFDM symbol or a corresponding duration, and/or may be based and/ordefined by a subcarrier spacing used (e.g., based on the numerology) orequivalent, and/or may correspond to the duration of a modulation symbol(e.g., for OFDM or similar frequency domain multiplexed types ofsignaling). It may be considered that a block symbol comprises aplurality of modulation symbols, e.g. based on a subcarrier spacingand/or numerology or equivalent, in particular for time domainmultiplexed types (on the symbol level for a single transmitter) ofsignaling like single-carrier based signaling, e.g. SC-FDE or SC-FDMA(in particular, FDF-SC-FDMA or pulse-shaped SC-FDMA). The number ofsymbols may be based on and/or defined by the number of subcarrier to beDFTS-spread (for SC-FDMA) and/or be based on a number of FFT samples,e.g. for spreading and/or mapping, and/or equivalent, and/or may bepredefined and/or configured or configurable. A block symbol in thiscontext may comprise and/or contain a plurality of individual modulationsymbols, which may be for example 1000 or more, or 3000 or more, or 3300or more. The number of modulation symbols in a block symbol may be basedand/or be dependent on a bandwidth scheduled for transmission ofsignaling in the block symbol. A block symbol and/or a number of blocksymbols (an integer smaller than 20, e.g. equal to or smaller than 14 or7 or 4 or 2 or a flexible number) may be a unit (e.g., allocation unit)used or usable or intended e.g. for scheduling and/or allocation ofresources, in particular in time domain. To a block symbol (e.g.,scheduled or allocated) and/or block symbol group and/or allocationunit, there may be associated a frequency range and/or frequency domainallocation and/or bandwidth allocated for transmission.

An allocation unit, and/or a block symbol, may be associated to aspecific (e.g., physical) channel and/or specific type of signaling, forexample reference signaling. In some cases, there may be a block symbolassociated to a channel that also is associated to a form of referencesignaling and/or pilot signaling and/or tracking signaling associated tothe channel, for example for timing purposes and/or decoding purposes(such signaling may comprise a low number of modulation symbols and/orresource elements of a block symbol, e.g. less than 10% or less than 5%or less than 1% of the modulation symbols and/or resource elements in ablock symbol). To a block symbol, there may be associated resourceelements; a resource element may be represented in time/frequencydomain, e.g. by the smallest frequency unit carrying or mapped to (e.g.,a subcarrier) in frequency domain and the duration of a modulationsymbol in time domain. A block symbol may comprise, and/or to a blocksymbol may be associated, a structure allowing and/or comprising anumber of modulation symbols, and/or association to one or more channels(and/or the structure may dependent on the channel the block symbol isassociated to and/or is allocated or used for), and/or referencesignaling (e.g., as discussed above), and/or one or more guard periodsand/or transient periods, and/or one or more affixes (e.g., a prefixand/or suffix and/or one or more infixes (entered inside the blocksymbol)), in particular a cyclic prefix and/or suffix and/or infix. Acyclic affix may represent a repetition of signaling and/or modulationsymbol/s used in the block symbol, with possible slight amendments tothe signaling structure of the affix to provide a smooth and/orcontinuous and/or differentiable connection between affix signaling andsignaling of modulation symbols associated to the content of the blocksymbol (e.g., channel and/or reference signaling structure). In somecases, in particular some OFDM-based waveforms, an affix may be includedinto a modulation symbol. In other cases, e.g. some single carrier-basedwaveforms, an affix may be represented by a sequence of modulationsymbols within the block symbol. It may be considered that in some casesa block symbol is defined and/or used in the context of the associatedstructure.

Communicating may comprise transmitting or receiving. It may beconsidered that communicating like transmitting signaling is based on aSC-FDM based waveform, and/or corresponds to a Frequency Domain Filtered(FDF) DFTS-OFDM waveform. However, the approaches may be applied to aSingle Carrier based waveform, e.g. a SC-FDM or SC-FDE-waveform, whichmay be pulse-shaped/FDF-based. It should be noted that SC-FDM may beconsidered DFT-spread OFDM, such that SC-FDM and DFTS-OFDM may be usedinterchangeably. Alternatively, or additionally, the signaling (e.g.,first signaling and/or second signaling) and/or beam/s (in particular,the first received beam and/or second received beam) may be based on awaveform with CP or comparable guard time. The received beam and thetransmission beam of the first beam pair may have the same (or similar)or different angular and/or spatial extensions; the received beam andthe transmission beam of the second beam pair may have the same (orsimilar) or different angular and/or spatial extensions. It may beconsidered that the received beam and/or transmission beam of the firstand/or second beam pair have angular extension of 20 degrees or less, or15 degrees or less, or 10 or 5 degrees or less, at least in one ofhorizontal or vertical direction, or both; different beams may havedifferent angular extensions. An extended guard interval or switchingprotection interval may have a duration corresponding to essentially orat least N CP (cyclic prefix) durations or equivalent duration, whereinN may be 2, or 3 or 4. An equivalent to a CP duration may represent theCP duration associated to signaling with CP (e.g., SC-FDM-based orOFDM-based) for a waveform without CP with the same or similar symboltime duration as the signaling with CP. Pulse-shaping (and/or performingFDF for) a modulation symbol and/or signaling, e.g. associated to afirst subcarrier or bandwidth, may comprise mapping the modulationsymbol (and/or the sample associated to it after FFT) to an associatedsecond subcarrier or part of the bandwidth, and/or applying a shapingoperation regarding the power and/or amplitude and/or phase of themodulation symbol on the first subcarrier and the second subcarrier,wherein the shaping operation may be according to a shaping function.Pulse-shaping signaling may comprise pulse-shaping one or more symbols;pulse-shaped signaling may in general comprise at least one pulse-shapedsymbol. Pulse-shaping may be performed based on a Nyquist-filter. It maybe considered that pulse-shaping is performed based on periodicallyextending a frequency distribution of modulation symbols (and/orassociated samples after FFT) over a first number of subcarrier to alarger, second number of subcarriers, wherein a subset of the firstnumber of subcarriers from one end of the frequency distribution isappended at the other end of the first number of subcarriers.

In some variants, communicating may be based on a numerology (which may,e.g., be represented by and/or correspond to and/or indicate asubcarrier spacing and/or symbol time length) and/or an SC-FDM basedwaveform (including a FDF-DFTS-FDM based waveform) or a single-carrierbased waveform. Whether to use pulse-shaping or FDF on a SC-FDM orSC-based waveform may depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., MCS) used.Such waveforms may utilise a cyclic prefix and/or benefit particularlyfrom the described approaches. Communicating may comprise and/or bebased on beamforming, e.g. transmission beamforming and/or receptionbeamforming, respectively. It may be considered that a beam is producedby performing analog beamforming to provide the beam, e.g. a beamcorresponding to a reference beam. Thus, signaling may be adapted, e.g.based on movement of the communication partner. A beam may for examplebe produced by performing analog beamforming to provide a beamcorresponding to a reference beam. This allows efficient postprocessingof a digitally formed beam, without requiring changes to a digitalbeamforming chain and/or without requiring changes to a standarddefining beam forming precoders. In general, a beam may be produced byhybrid beamforming, and/or by digital beamforming, e.g. based on aprecoder. This facilitates easy processing of beams, and/or limits thenumber of power amplifiers/ADC/DCA required for antenna arrangements. Itmay be considered that a beam is produced by hybrid beamforming, e.g. byanalog beamforming performed on a beam representation or beam formedbased on digital beamforming. Monitoring and/or performing cell searchmay be based on reception beamforming, e.g. analog or digital or hybridreception beamforming. The numerology may determine the length of asymbol time interval and/or the duration of a cyclic prefix. Theapproaches described herein are particularly suitable to SC-FDM, toensure orthogonality, in particular subcarrier orthogonality, incorresponding systems, but may be used for other waveforms.Communicating may comprise utilising a waveform with cyclic prefix. Thecyclic prefix may be based on a numerology, and may help keepingsignaling orthogonal. Communicating may comprise, and/or be based onperforming cell search, e.g. for a wireless device or terminal, or maycomprise transmitting cell identifying signaling and/or a selectionindication, based on which a radio node receiving the selectionindication may select a signaling bandwidth from a set of signalingbandwidths for performing cell search.

A beam or beam pair may in general be targeted at one radio node, or agroup of radio nodes and/or an area including one or more radio nodes.In many cases, a beam or beam pair may be receiver-specific (e.g.,UE-specific), such that only one radio node is served per beam/beampair. A beam pair switch or switch of received beam (e.g., by using adifferent reception beam) and/or transmission beam may be performed at aborder of a transmission timing structure, e.g. a slot border, or withina slot, for example between symbols Some tuning of radio circuitry, e.g.for receiving and/or transmitting, may be performed. Beam pair switchingmay comprise switching from a second received beam to a first receivedbeam, and/or from a second transmission beam to a first transmissionbeam. Switching may comprise inserting a guard period to cover retuningtime; however, circuitry may be adapted to switch sufficiently quicklyto essentially be instantaneous; this may in particular be the case whendigital reception beamforming is used to switch reception beams forswitching received beams.

A reference beam may be a beam comprising reference signaling, based onwhich for example a of beam signaling characteristics may be determined,e.g. measured and/or estimated. A signaling beam may comprise signalinglike control signaling and/or data signaling and/or reference signaling.A reference beam may be transmitted by a source or transmitting radionode, in which case one or more beam signaling characteristics may bereported to it from a receiver, e.g. a wireless device. However, in somecases it may be received by the radio node from another radio node orwireless device. In this case, one or more beam signalingcharacteristics may be determined by the radio node. A signaling beammay be a transmission beam, or a reception beam. A set of signalingcharacteristics may comprise a plurality of subsets of beam signalingcharacteristics, each subset pertaining to a different reference beam.Thus, a reference beam may be associated to different beam signalingcharacteristics.

A beam signaling characteristic, respectively a set of suchcharacteristics, may represent and/or indicate a signal strength and/orsignal quality of a beam and/or a delay characteristic and/or beassociated with received and/or measured signaling carried on a beam.Beam signaling characteristics and/or delay characteristics may inparticular pertain to, and/or indicate, a number and/or list and/ororder of beams with best (e.g., lowest mean delay and/or lowestspread/range) timing or delay spread, and/or of strongest and/or bestquality beams, e.g. with associated delay spread. A beam signalingcharacteristic may be based on measurement/s performed on referencesignaling carried on the reference beam it pertains to. Themeasurement/s may be performed by the radio node, or another node orwireless device. The use of reference signaling allows improved accuracyand/or gauging of the measurements. In some cases, a beam and/or beampair may be represented by a beam identity indication, e.g. a beam orbeam pair number. Such an indication may be represented by one or moresignaling sequences (e.g., a specific reference signaling sequences orsequences), which may be transmitted on the beam and/or beam pair,and/or a signaling characteristic and/or a resource/s used (e.g.,time/frequency and/or code) and/or a specific RNTI (e.g., used forscrambling a CRC for some messages or transmissions) and/or byinformation provided in signaling, e.g. control signaling and/or systemsignaling, on the beam and/or beam pair, e.g. encoded and/or provided inan information field or as information element in some form of messageof signaling, e.g. DCI and/or MAC and/or RRC signaling.

A reference beam may in general be one of a set of reference beams, thesecond set of reference beams being associated to the set of signalingbeams. The sets being associated may refer to at least one beam of thefirst set being associated and/or corresponding to the second set (orvice versa), e.g. being based on it, for example by having the sameanalog or digital beamforming parameters and/or precoder and/or the sameshape before analog beamforming, and/or being a modified form thereof,e.g. by performing additional analog beamforming. The set of signalingbeams may be referred to as a first set of beams, a set of correspondingreference beams may be referred to as second set of beams.

In some variants, a reference beam and/or reference beams and/orreference signaling may correspond to and/or carry random accesssignaling, e.g. a random access preamble. Such a reference beam orsignaling may be transmitted by another radio node. The signaling mayindicate which beam is used for transmitting. Alternatively, thereference beams may be beams receiving the random access signaling.Random access signaling may be used for initial connection to the radionode and/or a cell provided by the radio node, and/or for reconnection.Utilising random access signaling facilitates quick and early beamselection. The random access signaling may be on a random accesschannel, e.g. based on broadcast information provided by the radio node(the radio node performing the beam selection), e.g. withsynchronisation signaling (e.g., SSB block and/or associated thereto).The reference signaling may correspond to synchronisation signaling,e.g. transmitted by the radio node in a plurality of beams. Thecharacteristics may be reported on by a node receiving thesynchronisation signaling, e.g. in a random access process, e.g. a msg3for contention resolution, which may be transmitted on a physical uplinkshared channel based on a resource allocation provided by the radionode.

A delay characteristic (which may correspond to delay spreadinformation) and/or a measurement report may represent and/or indicateat least one of mean delay, and/or delay spread, and/or delaydistribution, and/or delay spread distribution, and/or delay spreadrange, and/or relative delay spread, and/or energy (or power)distribution, and/or impulse response to received signaling, and/or thepower delay profile of the received signals, and/or power delay profilerelated parameters of the received signal. A mean delay may representthe mean value and/or an averaged value of the delay spread, which maybe weighted or unweighted. A distribution may be distribution overtime/delay, e.g. of received power and/or energy of a signal. A rangemay indicate an interval of the delay spread distribution overtime/delay, which may cover a predetermined percentage of the delayspread respective received energy or power, e.g. 50% or more, 75% ormore, 90% or more, or 100%. A relative delay spread may indicate arelation to a threshold delay, e.g. of the mean delay, and/or a shiftrelative to an expected and/or configured timing, e.g. a timing at whichthe signaling would have been expected based on the scheduling, and/or arelation to a cyclic prefix duration (which may be considered on form ofa threshold). Energy distribution or power distribution may pertain tothe energy or power received over the time interval of the delay spread.A power delay profile may pertain to representations of the receivedsignals, or the received signals energy/power, across time/delay. Powerdelay profile related parameters may pertain to metrics computed fromthe power delay profile. Different values and forms of delay spreadinformation and/or report may be used, allowing a wide range ofcapabilities. The kind of information represented by a measurementreport may be predefined, or be configured or configurable, e.g. with ameasurement configuration and/or reference signaling configuration, inparticular with higher layer signaling like RRC or MAC signaling and/orphysical layer signaling like DCI signaling.

In general, different beam pair may differ in at least one beam; forexample, a beam pair using a first received beam and a firsttransmission beam may be considered to be different from a second beampair using the first received beam and a second transmission beam. Atransmission beam using no precoding and/or beamforming, for exampleusing the natural antenna profile, may be considered as a special formof transmission beam of a transmission beam pair. A beam may beindicated to a radio node by a transmitter with a beam indication and/ora configuration, which for example may indicate beam parameters and/ortime/frequency resources associated to the beam and/or a transmissionmode and/or antenna profile and/or antenna port and/or precoderassociated to the beam. Different beams may be provided with differentcontent, for example different received beams may carry differentsignaling; however, there may be considered cases in which differentbeams carry the same signaling, for example the same data signalingand/or reference signaling. The beams may be transmitted by the samenode and/or transmission point and/or antenna arrangement, or bydifferent nodes and/or transmission points and/or antenna arrangements.

Communicating utilising a beam pair or a beam may comprise receivingsignaling on a received beam (which may be a beam of a beam pair),and/or transmitting signaling on a beam, e.g. a beam of a beam pair. Thefollowing terms are to be interpreted from the point of view of thereferred radio node: a received beam may be a beam carrying signalingreceived by the radio node (for reception, the radio node may use areception beam, e.g. directed to the received beam, or benon-beamformed). A transmission beam may be a beam used by the radionode to transmit signaling. A beam pair may consist of a received beamand a transmission beam. The transmission beam and the received beam ofa beam pair may be associated to each and/or correspond to each other,e.g. such that signaling on the received beam and signaling on atransmission beam travel essentially the same path (but in oppositedirections), e.g. at least in a stationary or almost stationarycondition. It should be noted that the terms “first” and “second” do notnecessarily denote an order in time; a second signaling may be receivedand/or transmitted before, or in some cases simultaneous to, firstsignaling, or vice versa. The received beam and transmission beam of abeam pair may be on the same carrier or frequency range or bandwidthpart, e.g. in a TDD operation; however, variants with FDD may beconsidered as well. Different beam pairs may operate on the samefrequency ranges or carriers or bandwidth parts (e.g., such thattransmission beams operate on the same frequency range or carriers orbandwidth part, and received beams on the same frequency range orcarriers or bandwidth part (the transmission beam and received beams maybe on the same or different ranges or carriers or BWPs). Communicatingutilizing a first beam pair and/or first beam may be based on, and/orcomprise, switching from the second beam pair or second beam to thefirst beam pair or first beam for communicating. The switching may becontrolled by the network, for example a network node (which may be thesource or transmitter of the received beam of the first beam pair and/orsecond beam pair, or be associated thereto, for example associatedtransmission points or nodes in dual connectivity). Such controlling maycomprise transmitting control signaling, e.g. physical layer signalingand/or higher layer signaling. In some cases, the switching may beperformed by the radio node without additional control signaling, forexample based on measurements on signal quality and/or signal strengthof beam pairs (e.g., of first and second received beams), in particularthe first beam pair and/or the second beam pair. For example, it may beswitched to the first beam pair (or first beam) if the signal quality orsignal strength measured on the second beam pair (or second beam) isconsidered to be insufficient, and/or worse than correspondingmeasurements on the first beam pair indicate. Measurements performed ona beam pair (or beam) may in particular comprise measurements performedon a received beam of the beam pair. It may be considered that thetiming indication may be determined before switching from the secondbeam pair to the first beam pair for communicating. Thus, thesynchronization may be in place 8 and/or the timing indication may beavailable for synchronising) when starting communication utilizing thefirst beam pair or first beam. However, in some cases the timingindication may be determined after switching to the first beam pair orfirst beam. This may be in particular useful if first signaling isexpected to be received after the switching only, for example based on aperiodicity or scheduled timing of suitable reference signaling on thefirst beam pair, e.g. first received beam.

In some variants, reference signaling may be and/or comprise CSI-RS,e.g. transmitted by the network node. In other variants, the referencesignaling may be transmitted by a UE, e.g. to a network node or otherUE, in which case it may comprise and/or be Sounding ReferenceSignaling. Other, e.g. new, forms of reference signaling may beconsidered and/or used. In general, a modulation symbol of referencesignaling respectively a resource element carrying it may be associatedto a cyclic prefix.

Data signaling may be on a data channel, for example on a PDSCH orPSSCH, or on a dedicated data channel, e.g. for low latency and/or highreliability, e.g. a URLLC channel. Control signaling may be on a controlchannel, for example on a common control channel or a PDCCH or PSCCH,and/or comprise one or more DCI messages or SCI messages. Referencesignaling may be associated to control signaling and/or data signaling,e.g. DM-RS and/or PT-RS.

Reference signaling, for example, may comprise DM-RS and/or pilotsignaling and/or discovery signaling and/or synchronisation signalingand/or sounding signaling and/or phase tracking signaling and/orcell-specific reference signaling and/or user-specific signaling, inparticular CSI-RS. Reference signaling in general may be signaling withone or more signaling characteristics, in particular transmission powerand/or sequence of modulation symbols and/or resource distributionand/or phase distribution known to the receiver. Thus, the receiver canuse the reference signaling as a reference and/or for training and/orfor compensation. The receiver can be informed about the referencesignaling by the transmitter, e.g. being configured and/or signalingwith control signaling, in particular physical layer signaling and/orhigher layer signaling (e.g., DCI and/or RRC signaling), and/or maydetermine the corresponding information itself, e.g. a network nodeconfiguring a UE to transmit reference signaling. Reference signalingmay be signaling comprising one or more reference symbols and/orstructures. Reference signaling may be adapted for gauging and/orestimating and/or representing transmission conditions, e.g. channelconditions and/or transmission path conditions and/or channel (or signalor transmission) quality. It may be considered that the transmissioncharacteristics (e.g., signal strength and/or form and/or modulationand/or timing) of reference signaling are available for both transmitterand receiver of the signaling (e.g., due to being predefined and/orconfigured or configurable and/or being communicated). Different typesof reference signaling may be considered, e.g. pertaining to uplink,downlink or sidelink, cell-specific (in particular, cell-wide, e.g.,CRS) or device or user specific (addressed to a specific target or userequipment, e.g., CSI-RS), demodulation-related (e.g., DMRS) and/orsignal strength related, e.g. power-related or energy-related oramplitude-related (e.g., SRS or pilot signaling) and/or phase-related,etc.

References to specific resource structures like an allocation unitand/or block symbol and/or block symbol group and/or transmission timingstructure and/or symbol and/or slot and/or mini-slot and/or subcarrierand/or carrier may pertain to a specific numerology, which may bepredefined and/or configured or configurable. A transmission timingstructure may represent a time interval, which may cover one or moresymbols. Some examples of a transmission timing structure aretransmission time interval (TTI), subframe, slot and mini-slot. A slotmay comprise a predetermined, e.g. predefined and/or configured orconfigurable, number of symbols, e.g. 6 or 7, or 12 or 14. A mini-slotmay comprise a number of symbols (which may in particular beconfigurable or configured) smaller than the number of symbols of aslot, in particular 1, 2, 3 or 4, or more symbols, e.g. less symbolsthan symbols in a slot. A transmission timing structure may cover a timeinterval of a specific length, which may be dependent on symbol timelength and/or cyclic prefix used. A transmission timing structure maypertain to, and/or cover, a specific time interval in a time stream,e.g. synchronized for communication. Timing structures used and/orscheduled for transmission, e.g. slot and/or mini-slots, may bescheduled in relation to, and/or synchronized to, a timing structureprovided and/or defined by other transmission timing structures. Suchtransmission timing structures may define a timing grid, e.g., withsymbol time intervals within individual structures representing thesmallest timing units. Such a timing grid may for example be defined byslots or subframes (wherein in some cases, subframes may be consideredspecific variants of slots). A transmission timing structure may have aduration (length in time) determined based on the durations of itssymbols, possibly in addition to cyclic prefix/es used. The symbols of atransmission timing structure may have the same duration, or may in somevariants have different duration. The number of symbols in atransmission timing structure may be predefined and/or configured orconfigurable, and/or be dependent on numerology. The timing of amini-slot may generally be configured or configurable, in particular bythe network and/or a network node. The timing may be configurable tostart and/or end at any symbol of the transmission timing structure, inparticular one or more slots.

A transmission quality parameter may in general correspond to the numberR of retransmissions and/or number T of total transmissions, and/orcoding (e.g., number of coding bits, e.g. for error detection codingand/or error correction coding like FEC coding) and/or code rate and/orBLER and/or BER requirements and/or transmission power level (e.g.,minimum level and/or target level and/or base power level P0 and/ortransmission power control command, TPC, step size) and/or signalquality, e.g. SNR and/or SIR and/or SINR and/or power density and/orenergy density.

A buffer state report (or buffer status report, BSR) may compriseinformation representing the presence and/or size of data to betransmitted (e.g., available in one or more buffers, for exampleprovided by higher layers). The size may be indicated explicitly, and/orindexed to range/s of sizes, and/or may pertain to one or more differentchannel/s and/or acknowledgement processes and/or higher layers and/orchannel groups/s, e.g., one or more logical channel/s and/or transportchannel/s and/or groups thereof: The structure of a BSR may bepredefined and/or configurable of configured, e.g. to override and/oramend a predefined structure, for example with higher layer signaling,e.g. RRC signaling. There may be different forms of BSR with differentlevels of resolution and/or information, e.g. a more detailed long BSRand a less detailed short BSR. A short BSR may concatenate and/orcombine information of a long BSR, e.g. providing sums for dataavailable for one or more channels and/or or channels groups and/orbuffers, which might be represented individually in a long BSR; and/ormay index a less-detailed range scheme for data available or buffered. ABSR may be used in lieu of a scheduling request, e.g. by a network nodescheduling or allocating (uplink) resources for the transmitting radionode like a wireless device or UE or IAB node.

There is generally considered a program product comprising instructionsadapted for causing processing and/or control circuitry to carry outand/or control any method described herein, in particular when executedon the processing and/or control circuitry. Also, there is considered acarrier medium arrangement carrying and/or storing a program product asdescribed herein.

A carrier medium arrangement may comprise one or more carrier media.Generally, a carrier medium may be accessible and/or readable and/orreceivable by processing or control circuitry. Storing data and/or aprogram product and/or code may be seen as part of carrying data and/ora program product and/or code. A carrier medium generally may comprise aguiding/transporting medium and/or a storage medium. Aguiding/transporting medium may be adapted to carry and/or carry and/orstore signals, in particular electromagnetic signals and/or electricalsignals and/or magnetic signals and/or optical signals. A carriermedium, in particular a guiding/transporting medium, may be adapted toguide such signals to carry them. A carrier medium, in particular aguiding/transporting medium, may comprise the electromagnetic field,e.g. radio waves or microwaves, and/or optically transmissive material,e.g. glass fiber, and/or cable. A storage medium may comprise at leastone of a memory, which may be volatile or non-volatile, a buffer, acache, an optical disc, magnetic memory, flash memory, etc.

A system comprising one or more radio nodes as described herein, inparticular a network node and a user equipment, is described. The systemmay be a wireless communication system, and/or provide and/or representa radio access network.

Moreover, there may be generally considered a method of operating aninformation system, the method comprising providing information.Alternatively, or additionally, an information system adapted forproviding information may be considered. Providing information maycomprise providing information for, and/or to, a target system, whichmay comprise and/or be implemented as radio access network and/or aradio node, in particular a network node or user equipment or terminal.Providing information may comprise transferring and/or streaming and/orsending and/or passing on the information, and/or offering theinformation for such and/or for download, and/or triggering suchproviding, e.g. by triggering a different system or node to streamand/or transfer and/or send and/or pass on the information. Theinformation system may comprise, and/or be connected or connectable to,a target, for example via one or more intermediate systems, e.g. a corenetwork and/or internet and/or private or local network. Information maybe provided utilising and/or via such intermediate system/s. Providinginformation may be for radio transmission and/or for transmission via anair interface and/or utilising a RAN or radio node as described herein.Connecting the information system to a target, and/or providinginformation, may be based on a target indication, and/or adaptive to atarget indication. A target indication may indicate the target, and/orone or more parameters of transmission pertaining to the target and/orthe paths or connections over which the information is provided to thetarget. Such parameter/s may in particular pertain to the air interfaceand/or radio access network and/or radio node and/or network node.Example parameters may indicate for example type and/or nature of thetarget, and/or transmission capacity (e.g., data rate) and/or latencyand/or reliability and/or cost, respectively one or more estimatesthereof. The target indication may be provided by the target, ordetermined by the information system, e.g. based on information receivedfrom the target and/or historical information, and/or be provided by auser, for example a user operating the target or a device incommunication with the target, e.g. via the RAN and/or air interface.For example, a user may indicate on a user equipment communicating withthe information system that information is to be provided via a RAN,e.g. by selecting from a selection provided by the information system,for example on a user application or user interface, which may be a webinterface. An information system may comprise one or more informationnodes. An information node may generally comprise processing circuitryand/or communication circuitry. In particular, an information systemand/or an information node may be implemented as a computer and/or acomputer arrangement, e.g. a host computer or host computer arrangementand/or server or server arrangement. In some variants, an interactionserver (e.g., web server) of the information system may provide a userinterface, and based on user input may trigger transmitting and/orstreaming information provision to the user (and/or the target) fromanother server, which may be connected or connectable to the interactionserver and/or be part of the information system or be connected orconnectable thereto. The information may be any kind of data, inparticular data intended for a user of for use at a terminal, e.g. videodata and/or audio data and/or location data and/or interactive dataand/or game-related data and/or environmental data and/or technical dataand/or traffic data and/or vehicular data and/or circumstantial dataand/or operational data. The information provided by the informationsystem may be mapped to, and/or mappable to, and/or be intended formapping to, communication or data signaling and/or one or more datachannels as described herein (which may be signaling or channel/s of anair interface and/or used within a RAN and/or for radio transmission).It may be considered that the information is formatted based on thetarget indication and/or target, e.g. regarding data amount and/or datarate and/or data structure and/or timing, which in particular may bepertaining to a mapping to communication or data signaling and/or a datachannel. Mapping information to data signaling and/or data channel/s maybe considered to refer to using the signaling/channel/s to carry thedata, e.g. on higher layers of communication, with thesignaling/channel/s underlying the transmission. A target indicationgenerally may comprise different components, which may have differentsources, and/or which may indicate different characteristics of thetarget and/or communication path/s thereto. A format of information maybe specifically selected, e.g. from a set of different formats, forinformation to be transmitted on an air interface and/or by a RAN asdescribed herein. This may be particularly pertinent since an airinterface may be limited in terms of capacity and/or of predictability,and/or potentially be cost sensitive. The format may be selected to beadapted to the transmission indication, which may in particular indicatethat a RAN or radio node as described herein is in the path (which maybe the indicated and/or planned and/or expected path) of informationbetween the target and the information system. A (communication) path ofinformation may represent the interface/s (e.g., air and/or cableinterfaces) and/or the intermediate system/s (if any), between theinformation system and/or the node providing or transferring theinformation, and the target, over which the information is, or is to be,passed on. A path may be (at least partly) undetermined when a targetindication is provided, and/or the information is provided/transferredby the information system, e.g. if an internet is involved, which maycomprise multiple, dynamically chosen paths. Information and/or a formatused for information may be packet-based, and/or be mapped, and/or bemappable and/or be intended for mapping, to packets. Alternatively, oradditionally, there may be considered a method for operating a targetdevice comprising providing a target indicating to an informationsystem. More alternatively, or additionally, a target device may beconsidered, the target device being adapted for providing a targetindication to an information system. In another approach, there may beconsidered a target indication tool adapted for, and/or comprising anindication module for, providing a target indication to an informationsystem. The target device may generally be a target as described above.A target indication tool may comprise, and/or be implemented as,software and/or application or app, and/or web interface or userinterface, and/or may comprise one or more modules for implementingactions performed and/or controlled by the tool. The tool and/or targetdevice may be adapted for, and/or the method may comprise, receiving auser input, based on which a target indicating may be determined and/orprovided. Alternatively, or additionally, the tool and/or target devicemay be adapted for, and/or the method may comprise, receivinginformation and/or communication signaling carrying information, and/oroperating on, and/or presenting (e.g., on a screen and/or as audio or asother form of indication), information. The information may be based onreceived information and/or communication signaling carryinginformation. Presenting information may comprise processing receivedinformation, e.g. decoding and/or transforming, in particular betweendifferent formats, and/or for hardware used for presenting. Operating oninformation may be independent of or without presenting, and/or proceedor succeed presenting, and/or may be without user interaction or evenuser reception, for example for automatic processes, or target deviceswithout (e.g., regular) user interaction like MTC devices, of forautomotive or transport or industrial use. The information orcommunication signaling may be expected and/or received based on thetarget indication. Presenting and/or operating on information maygenerally comprise one or more processing steps, in particular decodingand/or executing and/or interpreting and/or transforming information.Operating on information may generally comprise relaying and/ortransmitting the information, e.g. on an air interface, which mayinclude mapping the information onto signaling (such mapping maygenerally pertain to one or more layers, e.g. one or more layers of anair interface, e.g. RLC (Radio Link Control) layer and/or MAC layerand/or physical layer/s). The information may be imprinted (or mapped)on communication signaling based on the target indication, which maymake it particularly suitable for use in a RAN (e.g., for a targetdevice like a network node or in particular a UE or terminal). The toolmay generally be adapted for use on a target device, like a UE orterminal. Generally, the tool may provide multiple functionalities, e.g.for providing and/or selecting the target indication, and/or presenting,e.g. video and/or audio, and/or operating on and/or storing receivedinformation. Providing a target indication may comprise transmitting ortransferring the indication as signaling, and/or carried on signaling,in a RAN, for example if the target device is a UE, or the tool for aUE. It should be noted that such provided information may be transferredto the information system via one or more additionally communicationinterfaces and/or paths and/or connections. The target indication may bea higher-layer indication and/or the information provided by theinformation system may be higher-layer information, e.g. applicationlayer or user-layer, in particular above radio layers like transportlayer and physical layer. The target indication may be mapped onphysical layer radio signaling, e.g. related to or on the user-plane,and/or the information may be mapped on physical layer radiocommunication signaling, e.g. related to or on the user-plane (inparticular, in reverse communication directions). The describedapproaches allow a target indication to be provided, facilitatinginformation to be provided in a specific format particularly suitableand/or adapted to efficiently use an air interface. A user input may forexample represent a selection from a plurality of possible transmissionmodes or formats, and/or paths, e.g. in terms of data rate and/orpackaging and/or size of information to be provided by the informationsystem.

In general, a numerology and/or subcarrier spacing may indicate thebandwidth (in frequency domain) of a subcarrier of a carrier, and/or thenumber of subcarriers in a carrier and/or the numbering of thesubcarriers in a carrier, and/or the symbol time length. Differentnumerologies may in particular be different in the bandwidth of asubcarrier. In some variants, all the subcarriers in a carrier have thesame bandwidth associated to them. The numerology and/or subcarrierspacing may be different between carriers in particular regarding thesubcarrier bandwidth. A symbol time length, and/or a time length of atiming structure pertaining to a carrier may be dependent on the carrierfrequency, and/or the subcarrier spacing and/or the numerology. Inparticular, different numerologies may have different symbol timelengths, even on the same carrier.

Signaling may generally comprise one or more (e.g., modulation) symbolsand/or signals and/or messages. A signal may comprise or represent oneor more bits. An indication may represent signaling, and/or beimplemented as a signal, or as a plurality of signals. One or moresignals may be included in and/or represented by a message. Signaling,in particular control signaling, may comprise a plurality of signalsand/or messages, which may be transmitted on different carriers and/orbe associated to different signaling processes, e.g. representing and/orpertaining to one or more such processes and/or correspondinginformation. An indication may comprise signaling, and/or a plurality ofsignals and/or messages and/or may be comprised therein, which may betransmitted on different carriers and/or be associated to differentacknowledgement signaling processes, e.g. representing and/or pertainingto one or more such processes. Signaling associated to a channel may betransmitted such that represents signaling and/or information for thatchannel, and/or that the signaling is interpreted by the transmitterand/or receiver to belong to that channel. Such signaling may generallycomply with transmission parameters and/or format/s for the channel.

An antenna arrangement may comprise one or more antenna elements(radiating elements), which may be combined in antenna arrays. Anantenna array or subarray may comprise one antenna element, or aplurality of antenna elements, which may be arranged e.g. twodimensionally (for example, a panel) or three dimensionally. It may beconsidered that each antenna array or subarray or element is separatelycontrollable, respectively that different antenna arrays arecontrollable separately from each other. A single antennaelement/radiator may be considered the smallest example of a subarray.Examples of antenna arrays comprise one or more multi-antenna panels orone or more individually controllable antenna elements. An antennaarrangement may comprise a plurality of antenna arrays. It may beconsidered that an antenna arrangement is associated to a (specificand/or single) radio node, e.g. a configuring or informing or schedulingradio node, e.g. to be controlled or controllable by the radio node. Anantenna arrangement associated to a UE or terminal may be smaller (e.g.,in size and/or number of antenna elements or arrays) than the antennaarrangement associated to a network node. Antenna elements of an antennaarrangement may be configurable for different arrays, e.g. to change thebeamforming characteristics. In particular, antenna arrays may be formedby combining one or more independently or separately controllableantenna elements or subarrays. The beams may be provided by analogbeamforming, or in some variants by digital beamforming, or by hybridbeamforming combing analog and digital beamforming. The informing radionodes may be configured with the manner of beam transmission, e.g. bytransmitting a corresponding indicator or indication, for example asbeam identify indication. However, there may be considered cases inwhich the informing radio node/s are not configured with suchinformation, and/or operate transparently, not knowing the way ofbeamforming used. An antenna arrangement may be considered separatelycontrollable in regard to the phase and/or amplitude/power and/or gainof a signal feed to it for transmission, and/or separately controllableantenna arrangements may comprise an independent or separate transmitand/or receive unit and/or ADC (Analog-Digital-Converter, alternativelyan ADC chain) or DCA (Digital-to-Analog Converter, alternatively a DCAchain) to convert digital control information into an analog antennafeed for the whole antenna arrangement (the ADC/DCA may be consideredpart of, and/or connected or connectable to, antenna circuitry) or viceversa. A scenario in which an ADC or DCA is controlled directly forbeamforming may be considered an analog beamforming scenario; suchcontrolling may be performed after encoding/decoding and7or aftermodulation symbols have been mapped to resource elements. This may be onthe level of antenna arrangements using the same ADC/DCA, e.g. oneantenna element or a group of antenna elements associated to the sameADC/DCA. Digital beamforming may correspond to a scenario in whichprocessing for beamforming is provided before feeding signaling to theADC/DCA, e.g. by using one or more precoder/s and/or by precodinginformation, for example before and/or when mapping modulation symbolsto resource elements. Such a precoder for beamforming may provideweights, e.g. for amplitude and/or phase, and/or may be based on a(precoder) codebook, e.g. selected from a codebook. A precoder maypertain to one beam or more beams, e.g. defining the beam or beams. Thecodebook may be configured or configurable, and/or be predefined. DFTbeamforming may be considered a form of digital beamforming, wherein aDFT procedure is used to form one or more beams. Hybrid forms ofbeamforming may be considered.

A beam may be defined by a spatial and/or angular and/or spatial angulardistribution of radiation and/or a spatial angle (also referred to assolid angle) or spatial (solid) angle distribution into which radiationis transmitted (for transmission beamforming) or from which it isreceived (for reception beamforming). Reception beamforming may compriseonly accepting signals coming in from a reception beam (e.g., usinganalog beamforming to not receive outside reception beam/s), and/orsorting out signals that do not come in in a reception beam, e.g. indigital postprocessing, e.g. digital beamforming. A beam may have asolid angle equal to or smaller than 4*pi sr (4*pi correspond to a beamcovering all directions), in particular smaller than 2*pi, or pi, orpi/2, or pi/4 or pi/8 or pi/16. In particular for high frequencies,smaller beams may be used. Different beams may have different directionsand/or sizes (e.g., solid angle and/or reach). A beam may have a maindirection, which may be defined by a main lobe (e.g., center of the mainlobe, e.g. pertaining to signal strength and/or solid angle, which maybe averaged and/or weighted to determine the direction), and may haveone or more sidelobes. A lobe may generally be defined to have acontinuous or contiguous distribution of energy and/or power transmittedand/or received, e.g. bounded by one or more contiguous or contiguousregions of zero energy (or practically zero energy). A main lobe maycomprise the lobe with the largest signal strength and/or energy and/orpower content. However, sidelobes usually appear due to limitations ofbeamforming, some of which may carry signals with significant strength,and may cause multi-path effects. A sidelobe may generally have adifferent direction than a main lobe and/or other side lobes, however,due to reflections a sidelobe still may contribute to transmitted and/orreceived energy or power. A beam may be swept and/or switched over time,e.g., such that its (main) direction is changed, but its shape(angular/solid angle distribution) around the main direction is notchanged, e.g. from the transmitter's views for a transmission beam, orthe receiver's view for a reception beam, respectively. Sweeping maycorrespond to continuous or near continuous change of main direction(e.g., such that after each change, the main lobe from before the changecovers at least partly the main lobe after the change, e.g. at least to50 or 75 or 90 percent). Switching may correspond to switching directionnon-continuously, e.g. such that after each change, the main lobe frombefore the change does not cover the main lobe after the change, e.g. atmost to 50 or 25 or 10 percent.

Signal strength may be a representation of signal power and/or signalenergy, e.g. as seen from a transmitting node or a receiving node. Abeam with larger strength at transmission (e.g., according to thebeamforming used) than another beam does may not necessarily have largerstrength at the receiver, and vice versa, for example due tointerference and/or obstruction and/or dispersion and/or absorptionand/or reflection and/or attrition or other effects influencing a beamor the signaling it carries. Signal quality may in general be arepresentation of how well a signal may be received over noise and/orinterference. A beam with better signal quality than another beam doesnot necessarily have a larger beam strength than the other beam. Signalquality may be represented for example by SIR, SNR, SINR, BER, BLER,Energy per resource element over noise/interference or anothercorresponding quality measure. Signal quality and/or signal strength maypertain to, and/or may be measured with respect to, a beam, and/orspecific signaling carried by the beam, e.g. reference signaling and/ora specific channel, e.g. a data channel or control channel. Signalstrength may be represented by received signal strength, and/or relativesignal strength, e.g. in comparison to a reference signal (strength).

Uplink or sidelink signaling may be OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiple Access) or SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division MultipleAccess) signaling. Downlink signaling may in particular be OFDMAsignaling. However, signaling is not limited thereto (Filter-Bank basedsignaling and/or Single-Carrier based signaling, e.g. SC-FDE signaling,may be considered alternatives).

A radio node may generally be considered a device or node adapted forwireless and/or radio (and/or millimeter wave) frequency communication,and/or for communication utilising an air interface, e.g. according to acommunication standard.

A radio node may be a network node, or a user equipment or terminal. Anetwork node may be any radio node of a wireless communication network,e.g. a base station and/or gNodeB (gNB) and/or eNodeB (eNB) and/or relaynode and/or micro/nano/pico/femto node and/or transmission point (TP)and/or access point (AP) and/or other node, in particular for a RAN orother wireless communication network as described herein.

The terms user equipment (UE) and terminal may be considered to beinterchangeable in the context of this disclosure. A wireless device,user equipment or terminal may represent an end device for communicationutilising the wireless communication network, and/or be implemented as auser equipment according to a standard.

Examples of user equipments may comprise a phone like a smartphone, apersonal communication device, a mobile phone or terminal, a computer,in particular laptop, a sensor or machine with radio capability (and/oradapted for the air interface), in particular for MTC(Machine-Type-Communication, sometimes also referred to M2M,Machine-To-Machine), or a vehicle adapted for wireless communication. Auser equipment or terminal may be mobile or stationary. A wirelessdevice generally may comprise, and/or be implemented as, processingcircuitry and/or radio circuitry, which may comprise one or more chipsor sets of chips. The circuitry and/or circuitries may be packaged, e.g.in a chip housing, and/or may have one or more physical interfaces tointeract with other circuitry and/or for power supply. Such a wirelessdevice may be intended for use in a user equipment or terminal.

A radio node may generally comprise processing circuitry and/or radiocircuitry. A radio node, in particular a network node, may in some casescomprise cable circuitry and/or communication circuitry, with which itmay be connected or connectable to another radio node and/or a corenetwork.

Circuitry may comprise integrated circuitry. Processing circuitry maycomprise one or more processors and/or controllers (e.g.,microcontrollers), and/or ASICs (Application Specific IntegratedCircuitry) and/or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array), or similar. Itmay be considered that processing circuitry comprises, and/or is(operatively) connected or connectable to one or more memories or memoryarrangements. A memory arrangement may comprise one or more memories. Amemory may be adapted to store digital information. Examples formemories comprise volatile and non-volatile memory, and/or Random AccessMemory (RAM), and/or Read-Only-Memory (ROM), and/or magnetic and/oroptical memory, and/or flash memory, and/or hard disk memory, and/orEPROM or EEPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM or Electrically ErasableProgrammable ROM).

Radio circuitry may comprise one or more transmitters and/or receiversand/or transceivers (a transceiver may operate or be operable astransmitter and receiver, and/or may comprise joint or separatedcircuitry for receiving and transmitting, e.g. in one package orhousing), and/or may comprise one or more amplifiers and/or oscillatorsand/or filters, and/or may comprise, and/or be connected or connectableto antenna circuitry and/or one or more antennas and/or antenna arrays.An antenna array may comprise one or more antennas, which may bearranged in a dimensional array, e.g. 2D or 3D array, and/or antennapanels. A remote radio head (RRH) may be considered as an example of anantenna array. However, in some variants, an RRH may be also beimplemented as a network node, depending on the kind of circuitry and/orfunctionality implemented therein.

Communication circuitry may comprise radio circuitry and/or cablecircuitry. Communication circuitry generally may comprise one or moreinterfaces, which may be air interface/s and/or cable interface/s and/oroptical interface/s, e.g. laser-based. Interface/s may be in particularpacket-based. Cable circuitry and/or a cable interfaces may comprise,and/or be connected or connectable to, one or more cables (e.g., opticalfiber-based and/or wire-based), which may be directly or indirectly(e.g., via one or more intermediate systems and/or interfaces) beconnected or connectable to a target, e.g. controlled by communicationcircuitry and/or processing circuitry.

Any one or all of the modules disclosed herein may be implemented insoftware and/or firmware and/or hardware. Different modules may beassociated to different components of a radio node, e.g. differentcircuitries or different parts of a circuitry. It may be considered thata module is distributed over different components and/or circuitries. Aprogram product as described herein may comprise the modules related toa device on which the program product is intended (e.g., a userequipment or network node) to be executed (the execution may beperformed on, and/or controlled by the associated circuitry).

A wireless communication network may be or comprise a radio accessnetwork and/or a backhaul network (e.g. a relay or backhaul network oran IAB network), and/or a Radio Access Network (RAN) in particularaccording to a communication standard. A communication standard may inparticular a standard according to 3GPP and/or 5G, e.g. according to NRor LTE, in particular LTE Evolution.

A wireless communication network may be and/or comprise a Radio AccessNetwork (RAN), which may be and/or comprise any kind of cellular and/orwireless radio network, which may be connected or connectable to a corenetwork. The approaches described herein are particularly suitable for a5G network, e.g. LTE Evolution and/or NR (New Radio), respectivelysuccessors thereof. A RAN may comprise one or more network nodes, and/orone or more terminals, and/or one or more radio nodes. A network nodemay in particular be a radio node adapted for radio and/or wirelessand/or cellular communication with one or more terminals. A terminal maybe any device adapted for radio and/or wireless and/or cellularcommunication with or within a RAN, e.g. a user equipment (UE) or mobilephone or smartphone or computing device or vehicular communicationdevice or device for machine-type-communication (MTC), etc. A terminalmay be mobile, or in some cases stationary. A RAN or a wirelesscommunication network may comprise at least one network node and a UE,or at least two radio nodes. There may be generally considered awireless communication network or system, e.g. a RAN or RAN system,comprising at least one radio node, and/or at least one network node andat least one terminal.

Transmitting in downlink may pertain to transmission from the network ornetwork node to the terminal. Transmitting in uplink may pertain totransmission from the terminal to the network or network node.Transmitting in sidelink may pertain to (direct) transmission from oneterminal to another. Uplink, downlink and sidelink (e.g., sidelinktransmission and reception) may be considered communication directions.In some variants, uplink and downlink may also be used to describedwireless communication between network nodes, e.g. for wireless backhauland/or relay communication and/or (wireless) network communication forexample between base stations or similar network nodes, in particularcommunication terminating at such. It may be considered that backhauland/or relay communication and/or network communication is implementedas a form of sidelink or uplink communication or similar thereto.

Control information or a control information message or correspondingsignaling (control signaling) may be transmitted on a control channel,e.g. a physical control channel, which may be a downlink channel or (ora sidelink channel in some cases, e.g. one UE scheduling another UE).For example, control information/allocation information may be signaledby a network node on PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) and/or aPDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and/or a HARQ-specific channel.Acknowledgement signaling, e.g. as a form of control information orsignaling like uplink control information/signaling, may be transmittedby a terminal on a PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) and/or PUSCH(Physical Uplink Shared Channel) and/or a HARQ-specific channel.Multiple channels may apply for multi-component/multi-carrier indicationor signaling.

Transmitting acknowledgement signaling may in general be based on and/orin response to subject transmission, and/or to control signalingscheduling subject transmission. Such control signaling and/or subjectsignaling may be transmitted by a signaling radio node (which may be anetwork node, and/or a node associated to it, e.g. in a dualconnectivity scenario. Subject transmission and/or subject signaling maybe transmission or signaling to which ACK/NACK or acknowledgementinformation pertains, e.g. indicating correct or incorrect receptionand/or decoding of the subject transmission or signaling. Subjectsignaling or transmission may in particular comprise and/or berepresented by data signaling, e.g. on a PDSCH or PSSCH, or some formsof control signaling, e.g. on a PDCCH or PSSCH, for example for specificformats.

A signaling characteristic may be based on a type or format of ascheduling grant and/or scheduling assignment, and/or type ofallocation, and/or timing of acknowledgement signaling and/or thescheduling grant and/or scheduling assignment, and/or resourcesassociated to acknowledgement signaling and/or the scheduling grantand/or scheduling assignment. For example, if a specific format for ascheduling grant (scheduling or allocating the allocated resources) orscheduling assignment (scheduling the subject transmission foracknowledgement signaling) is used or detected, the first or secondcommunication resource may be used. Type of allocation may pertain todynamic allocation (e.g., using DCI/PDCCH) or semi-static allocation(e.g., for a configured grant). Timing of acknowledgement signaling maypertain to a slot and/or symbol/s the signaling is to be transmitted.Resources used for acknowledgement signaling may pertain to theallocated resources. Timing and/or resources associated to a schedulinggrant or assignment may represent a search space or CORESET (a set ofresources configured for reception of PDCCH transmissions) in which thegrant or assignment is received. Thus, which transmission resource to beused may be based on implicit conditions, requiring low signalingoverhead.

Scheduling may comprise indicating, e.g. with control signaling like DCIor SCI signaling and/or signaling on a control channel like PDCCH orPSCCH, one or more scheduling opportunities of a configuration intendedto carry data signaling or subject signaling. The configuration may berepresented or representable by, and/or correspond to, a table. Ascheduling assignment may for example point to an opportunity of thereception allocation configuration, e.g. indexing a table of schedulingopportunities. In some cases, a reception allocation configuration maycomprise 15 or 16 scheduling opportunities. The configuration may inparticular represent allocation in time. It may be considered that thereception allocation configuration pertains to data signaling, inparticular on a physical data channel like PDSCH or PSSCH. In general,the reception allocation configuration may pertain to downlinksignaling, or in some scenarios to sidelink signaling. Control signalingscheduling subject transmission like data signaling may point and/orindex and/or refer to and/or indicate a scheduling opportunity of thereception allocation configuration. It may be considered that thereception allocation configuration is configured or configurable withhigher-layer signaling, e.g. RRC or MAC layer signaling. The receptionallocation configuration may be applied and/or applicable and/or validfor a plurality of transmission timing intervals, e.g. such that foreach interval, one or more opportunities may be indicated or allocatedfor data signaling. These approaches allow efficient and flexiblescheduling, which may be semi-static, but may updated or reconfigured onuseful timescales in response to changes of operation conditions.

Control information, e.g., in a control information message, in thiscontext may in particular be implemented as and/or represented by ascheduling assignment, which may indicate subject transmission forfeedback (transmission of acknowledgement signaling), and/or reportingtiming and/or frequency resources and/or code resources. Reportingtiming may indicate a timing for scheduled acknowledgement signaling,e.g. slot and/or symbol and/or resource set. Control information may becarried by control signaling.

Subject transmissions may comprise one or more individual transmissions.Scheduling assignments may comprise one or more scheduling assignments.It should generally be noted that in a distributed system, subjecttransmissions, configuration and/or scheduling may be provided bydifferent nodes or devices or transmission points. Different subjecttransmissions may be on the same carrier or different carriers (e.g., ina carrier aggregation), and/or same or different bandwidth parts, and/oron the same or different layers or beams, e.g. in a MIMO scenario,and/or to same or different ports. Generally, subject transmissions maypertain to different HARQ or ARQ processes (or different sub-processes,e.g. in MIMO with different beams/layers associated to the same processidentifier, but different sub-process-identifiers like swap bits). Ascheduling assignment and/or a HARQ codebook may indicate a target HARQstructure. A target HARQ structure may for example indicate an intendedHARQ response to a subject transmission, e.g. the number of bits and/orwhether to provide code block group level response or not. However, itshould be noted that the actual structure used may differ from thetarget structure, e.g. due to the total size of target structures for asubpattern being larger than the predetermined size.

Transmitting acknowledgement signaling, also referred to as transmittingacknowledgement information or feedback information or simply as ARQ orHARQ feedback or feedback or reporting feedback, may comprise, and/or bebased on determining correct or incorrect reception of subjecttransmission/s, e.g. based on error coding and/or based on schedulingassignment/s scheduling the subject transmissions. Transmittingacknowledgement information may be based on, and/or comprise, astructure for acknowledgement information to transmit, e.g. thestructure of one or more subpatterns, e.g. based on which subjecttransmission is scheduled for an associated subdivision. Transmittingacknowledgement information may comprise transmitting correspondingsignaling, e.g. at one instance and/or in one message and/or onechannel, in particular a physical channel, which may be a controlchannel. In some cases, the channel may be a shared channel or datachannel, e.g. utilising rate-matching of the acknowledgment information.The acknowledgement information may generally pertain to a plurality ofsubject transmissions, which may be on different channels and/orcarriers, and/or may comprise data signaling and/or control signaling.The acknowledgment information may be based on a codebook, which may bebased on one or more size indications and/or assignment indications(representing HARQ structures), which may be received with a pluralityof control signalings and/or control messages, e.g. in the same ordifferent transmission timing structures, and/or in the same ordifferent (target) sets of resources. Transmitting acknowledgementinformation may comprise determining the codebook, e.g. based on controlinformation in one or more control information messages and/or aconfiguration. A codebook may pertain to transmitting acknowledgementinformation at a single and/or specific instant, e.g. a single PUCCH orPUSCH transmission, and/or in one message or with jointly encoded and/ormodulated acknowledgement information. Generally, acknowledgmentinformation may be transmitted together with other control information,e.g. a scheduling request and/or measurement information.

Acknowledgement signaling may in some cases comprise, next toacknowledgement information, other information, e.g. controlinformation, in particular, uplink or sidelink control information, likea scheduling request and/or measurement information, or similar, and/orerror detection and/or correction information, respectively associatedbits. The payload size of acknowledgement signaling may represent thenumber of bits of acknowledgement information, and/or in some cases thetotal number of bits carried by the acknowledgement signaling, and/orthe number of resource elements needed. Acknowledgement signaling and/orinformation may pertain to ARQ and/or HARQ processes; an ARQ process mayprovide ACK/NACK (and perhaps additional feedback) feedback, anddecoding may be performed on each (re-)transmission separately, withoutsoft-buffering/soft-combining intermediate data, whereas HARQ maycomprise soft-buffering/soft-combining of intermediate data of decodingfor one or more (re-)transmissions.

Subject transmission may be data signaling or control signaling. Thetransmission may be on a shared or dedicated channel. Data signaling maybe on a data channel, for example on a PDSCH or PSSCH, or on a dedicateddata channel, e.g. for low latency and/or high reliability, e.g. a URLLCchannel. Control signaling may be on a control channel, for example on acommon control channel or a PDCCH or PSCCH, and/or comprise one or moreDCI messages or SCI messages. In some cases, the subject transmissionmay comprise, or represent, reference signaling. For example, it maycomprise DM-RS and/or pilot signaling and/or discovery signaling and/orsounding signaling and/or phase tracking signaling and/or cell-specificreference signaling and/or user-specific signaling, in particularCSI-RS. A subject transmission may pertain to one scheduling assignmentand/or one acknowledgement signaling process (e.g., according toidentifier or subidentifier), and/or one subdivision. In some cases, asubject transmission may cross the borders of subdivisions in time, e.g.due to being scheduled to start in one subdivision and extending intoanother, or even crossing over more than one subdivision. In this case,it may be considered that the subject transmission is associated to thesubdivision it ends in.

It may be considered that transmitting acknowledgement information, inparticular of acknowledgement information, is based on determiningwhether the subject transmission/s has or have been received correctly,e.g. based on error coding and/or reception quality. Reception qualitymay for example be based on a determined signal quality. Acknowledgementinformation may generally be transmitted to a signaling radio nodeand/or node arrangement and/or to a network and/or network node.

Acknowledgement information, or bit/s of a subpattern structure of suchinformation (e.g., an acknowledgement information structure, mayrepresent and/or comprise one or more bits, in particular a pattern ofbits. Multiple bits pertaining to a data structure or substructure ormessage like a control message may be considered a subpattern. Thestructure or arrangement of acknowledgement information may indicate theorder, and/or meaning, and/or mapping, and/or pattern of bits (orsubpatterns of bits) of the information. The structure or mapping may inparticular indicate one or more data block structures, e.g. code blocksand/or code block groups and/or transport blocks and/or messages, e.g.command messages, the acknowledgement information pertains to, and/orwhich bits or subpattern of bits are associated to which data blockstructure. In some cases, the mapping may pertain to one or moreacknowledgement signaling processes, e.g. processes with differentidentifiers, and/or one or more different data streams. Theconfiguration or structure or codebook may indicate to which process/esand/or data stream/s the information pertains. Generally, theacknowledgement information may comprise one or more subpatterns, eachof which may pertain to a data block structure, e.g. a code block orcode block group or transport block. A subpattern may be arranged toindicate acknowledgement or non-acknowledgement, or anotherretransmission state like non-scheduling or non-reception, of theassociated data block structure. It may be considered that a subpatterncomprises one bit, or in some cases more than one bit. It should benoted that acknowledgement information may be subjected to significantprocessing before being transmitted with acknowledgement signaling.Different configurations may indicate different sizes and/or mappingand/or structures and/or pattern.

An acknowledgment signaling process (providing acknowledgmentinformation) may be a HARQ process, and/or be identified by a processidentifier, e.g. a HARQ process identifier or subidentifier.Acknowledgement signaling and/or associated acknowledgement informationmay be referred to as feedback or acknowledgement feedback. It should benoted that data blocks or structures to which subpatterns may pertainmay be intended to carry data (e.g., information and/or systemic and/orcoding bits). However, depending on transmission conditions, such datamay be received or not received (or not received correctly), which maybe indicated correspondingly in the feedback. In some cases, asubpattern of acknowledgement signaling may comprise padding bits, e.g.if the acknowledgement information for a data block requires fewer bitsthan indicated as size of the subpattern. Such may for example happen ifthe size is indicated by a unit size larger than required for thefeedback.

Acknowledgment information may generally indicate at least ACK or NACK,e.g. pertaining to an acknowledgment signaling process, or an element ofa data block structure like a data block, subblock group or subblock, ora message, in particular a control message. Generally, to anacknowledgment signaling process there may be associated one specificsubpattern and/or a data block structure, for which acknowledgmentinformation may be provided. Acknowledgement information may comprise aplurality of pieces of information, represented in a plurality of ARQand/or HARQ structures.

An acknowledgment signaling process may determine correct or incorrectreception, and/or corresponding acknowledgement information, of a datablock like a transport block, and/or substructures thereof, based oncoding bits associated to the data block, and/or based on coding bitsassociated to one or more data block and/or subblocks and/or subblockgroup/s. Acknowledgement information (determined by an acknowledgementsignaling process) may pertain to the data block as a whole, and/or toone or more subblocks or subblock groups. A code block may be consideredan example of a subblock, whereas a code block group may be consideredan example of a subblock group. Accordingly, the associated subpatternmay comprise one or more bits indicating reception status or feedback ofthe data block, and/or one or more bits indicating reception status orfeedback of one or more subblocks or subblock groups. Each subpattern orbit of the subpattern may be associated and/or mapped to a specific datablock or subblock or subblock group. In some variants, correct receptionfor a data block may be indicated if all subblocks or subblock groupsare correctly identified. In such a case, the subpattern may representacknowledgement information for the data block as a whole, reducingoverhead in comparison to provide acknowledgement information for thesubblocks or subblock groups. The smallest structure (e.g.subblock/subblock group/data block) the subpattern providesacknowledgement information for and/or is associated to may beconsidered its (highest) resolution. In some variants, a subpattern mayprovide acknowledgment information regarding several elements of a datablock structure and/or at different resolution, e.g. to allow morespecific error detection. For example, even if a subpattern indicatesacknowledgment signaling pertaining to a data block as a whole, in somevariants higher resolution (e.g., subblock or subblock group resolution)may be provided by the subpattern. A subpattern may generally compriseone or more bits indicating ACK/NACK for a data block, and/or one ormore bits for indicating ACK/NACK for a subblock or subblock group, orfor more than one subblock or subblock group.

A subblock and/or subblock group may comprise information bits(representing the data to be transmitted, e.g. user data and/ordownlink/sidelink data or uplink data). It may be considered that a datablock and/or subblock and/or subblock group also comprises error one ormore error detection bits, which may pertain to, and/or be determinedbased on, the information bits (for a subblock group, the errordetection bit/s may be determined based on the information bits and/orerror detection bits and/or error correction bits of the subblock/s ofthe subblock group). A data block or substructure like subblock orsubblock group may comprise error correction bits, which may inparticular be determined based on the information bits and errordetection bits of the block or substructure, e.g. utilising an errorcorrection coding scheme, in particular for forward error correction(FEC), e.g. LDPC or polar coding and/or turbo coding. Generally, theerror correction coding of a data block structure (and/or associatedbits) may cover and/or pertain to information bits and error detectionbits of the structure. A subblock group may represent a combination ofone or more code blocks, respectively the corresponding bits. A datablock may represent a code block or code block group, or a combinationof more than one code block groups. A transport block may be split up incode blocks and/or code block groups, for example based on the bit sizeof the information bits of a higher layer data structure provided forerror coding and/or size requirements or preferences for error coding,in particular error correction coding. Such a higher layer datastructure is sometimes also referred to as transport block, which inthis context represents information bits without the error coding bitsdescribed herein, although higher layer error handling information maybe included, e.g. for an internet protocol like TCP. However, such errorhandling information represents information bits in the context of thisdisclosure, as the acknowledgement signaling procedures described treatit accordingly.

In some variants, a subblock like a code block may comprise errorcorrection bits, which may be determined based on the information bit/sand/or error detection bit/s of the subblock. An error correction codingscheme may be used for determining the error correction bits, e.g. basedon LDPC or polar coding or Reed-Mueller coding. In some cases, asubblock or code block may be considered to be defined as a block orpattern of bits comprising information bits, error detection bit/sdetermined based on the information bits, and error correction bit/sdetermined based on the information bits and/or error detection bit/s.It may be considered that in a subblock, e.g. code block, theinformation bits (and possibly the error correction bit/s) are protectedand/or covered by the error correction scheme or corresponding errorcorrection bit/s. A code block group may comprise one or more codeblocks. In some variants, no additional error detection bits and/orerror correction bits are applied, however, it may be considered toapply either or both. A transport block may comprise one or more codeblock groups. It may be considered that no additional error detectionbits and/or error correction bits are applied to a transport block,however, it may be considered to apply either or both. In some specificvariants, the code block group/s comprise no additional layers of errordetection or correction coding, and the transport block may compriseonly additional error detection coding bits, but no additional errorcorrection coding. This may particularly be true if the transport blocksize is larger than the code block size and/or the maximum size forerror correction coding. A subpattern of acknowledgement signaling (inparticular indicating ACK or NACK) may pertain to a code block, e.g.indicating whether the code block has been correctly received. It may beconsidered that a subpattern pertains to a subgroup like a code blockgroup or a data block like a transport block. In such cases, it mayindicate ACK, if all subblocks or code blocks of the group ordata/transport block are received correctly (e.g. based on a logical ANDoperation), and NACK or another state of non-correct reception if atleast one subblock or code block has not been correctly received. Itshould be noted that a code block may be considered to be correctlyreceived not only if it actually has been correctly received, but alsoif it can be correctly reconstructed based on soft-combining and/or theerror correction coding.

A subpattern/HARQ structure may pertain to one acknowledgement signalingprocess and/or one carrier like a component carrier and/or data blockstructure or data block. It may in particular be considered that one(e.g. specific and/or single) subpattern pertains, e.g. is mapped by thecodebook, to one (e.g., specific and/or single) acknowledgementsignaling process, e.g. a specific and/or single HARQ process. It may beconsidered that in the bit pattern, subpatterns are mapped toacknowledgement signaling processes and/or data blocks or data blockstructures on a one-to-one basis. In some variants, there may bemultiple subpatterns (and/or associated acknowledgment signalingprocesses) associated to the same component carrier, e.g. if multipledata streams transmitted on the carrier are subject to acknowledgementsignaling processes. A subpattern may comprise one or more bits, thenumber of which may be considered to represent its size or bit size.Different bit n-tupels (n being 1 or larger) of a subpattern may beassociated to different elements of a data block structure (e.g., datablock or subblock or subblock group), and/or represent differentresolutions. There may be considered variants in which only oneresolution is represented by a bit pattern, e.g. a data block. A bitn-tupel may represent acknowledgement information (also referred to afeedback), in particular ACK or NACK, and optionally, (if n>1), mayrepresent DTX/DRX or other reception states. ACK/NACK may be representedby one bit, or by more than one bit, e.g. to improve disambiguity of bitsequences representing ACK or NACK, and/or to improve transmissionreliability.

The acknowledgement information or feedback information may pertain to aplurality of different transmissions, which may be associated to and/orrepresented by data block structures, respectively the associated datablocks or data signaling. The data block structures, and/or thecorresponding blocks and/or signaling, may be scheduled for simultaneoustransmission, e.g. for the same transmission timing structure, inparticular within the same slot or subframe, and/or on the samesymbol/s. However, alternatives with scheduling for non-simultaneoustransmission may be considered. For example, the acknowledgmentinformation may pertain to data blocks scheduled for differenttransmission timing structures, e.g. different slots (or mini-slots, orslots and mini-slots) or similar, which may correspondingly be received(or not or wrongly received). Scheduling signaling may generallycomprise indicating resources, e.g. time and/or frequency resources, forexample for receiving or transmitting the scheduled signaling.

Signaling may generally be considered to represent an electromagneticwave structure (e.g., over a time interval and frequency interval),which is intended to convey information to at least one specific orgeneric (e.g., anyone who might pick up the signaling) target. A processof signaling may comprise transmitting the signaling. Transmittingsignaling, in particular control signaling or communication signaling,e.g. comprising or representing acknowledgement signaling and/orresource requesting information, may comprise encoding and/ormodulating. Encoding and/or modulating may comprise error detectioncoding and/or forward error correction encoding and/or scrambling.Receiving control signaling may comprise corresponding decoding and/ordemodulation. Error detection coding may comprise, and/or be based on,parity or checksum approaches, e.g. CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check).Forward error correction coding may comprise and/or be based on forexample turbo coding and/or Reed-Muller coding, and/or polar codingand/or LDPC coding (Low Density Parity Check). The type of coding usedmay be based on the channel (e.g., physical channel) the coded signal isassociated to. A code rate may represent the ratio of the number ofinformation bits before encoding to the number of encoded bits afterencoding, considering that encoding adds coding bits for error detectioncoding and forward error correction. Coded bits may refer to informationbits (also called systematic bits) plus coding bits.

Communication signaling may comprise, and/or represent, and/or beimplemented as, data signaling, and/or user plane signaling.Communication signaling may be associated to a data channel, e.g. aphysical downlink channel or physical uplink channel or physicalsidelink channel, in particular a PDSCH (Physical Downlink SharedChannel) or PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel). Generally, a datachannel may be a shared channel or a dedicated channel. Data signalingmay be signaling associated to and/or on a data channel.

An indication generally may explicitly and/or implicitly indicate theinformation it represents and/or indicates. Implicit indication may forexample be based on position and/or resource used for transmission.Explicit indication may for example be based on a parametrisation withone or more parameters, and/or one or more index or indices, and/or oneor more bit patterns representing the information. It may in particularbe considered that control signaling as described herein, based on theutilised resource sequence, implicitly indicates the control signalingtype.

A resource element may generally describe the smallest individuallyusable and/or encodable and/or decodable and/or modulatable and/ordemodulatable time-frequency resource, and/or may describe atime-frequency resource covering a symbol time length in time and asubcarrier in frequency. A signal may be allocatable and/or allocated toa resource element. A subcarrier may be a subband of a carrier, e.g. asdefined by a standard. A carrier may define a frequency and/or frequencyband for transmission and/or reception. In some variants, a signal(jointly encoded/modulated) may cover more than one resource elements. Aresource element may generally be as defined by a correspondingstandard, e.g. NR or LTE. As symbol time length and/or subcarrierspacing (and/or numerology) may be different between different symbolsand/or subcarriers, different resource elements may have differentextension (length/width) in time and/or frequency domain, in particularresource elements pertaining to different carriers.

A resource generally may represent a time-frequency and/or coderesource, on which signaling, e.g. according to a specific format, maybe communicated, for example transmitted and/or received, and/or beintended for transmission and/or reception.

A border symbol (or allocation unit) may generally represent a startingsymbol (allocation unit) or an ending symbol (allocation unit) fortransmitting and/or receiving. A starting symbol (or allocation unit)may in particular be a starting symbol of uplink or sidelink signaling,for example control signaling or data signaling. Such signaling may beon a data channel or control channel, e.g. a physical channel, inparticular a physical uplink shared channel (like PUSCH) or a sidelinkdata or shared channel, or a physical uplink control channel (likePUCCH) or a sidelink control channel. If the starting symbol (orallocation unit) is associated to control signaling (e.g., on a controlchannel), the control signaling may be in response to received signaling(in sidelink or downlink), e.g. representing acknowledgement signalingassociated thereto, which may be HARQ or ARQ signaling. An ending symbol(or allocation unit) may represent an ending symbol (in time) ofdownlink or sidelink transmission or signaling, which may be intended orscheduled for the radio node or user equipment. Such downlink signalingmay in particular be data signaling, e.g. on a physical downlink channellike a shared channel, e.g. a PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel).A starting symbol (or allocation unit) may be determined based on,and/or in relation to, such an ending symbol (or allocation unit).

Configuring a radio node, in particular a terminal or user equipment,may refer to the radio node being adapted or caused or set and/orinstructed to operate according to the configuration. Configuring may bedone by another device, e.g., a network node (for example, a radio nodeof the network like a base station or eNodeB) or network, in which caseit may comprise transmitting configuration data to the radio node to beconfigured. Such configuration data may represent the configuration tobe configured and/or comprise one or more instruction pertaining to aconfiguration, e.g. a configuration for transmitting and/or receiving onallocated resources, in particular frequency resources. A radio node mayconfigure itself, e.g., based on configuration data received from anetwork or network node. A network node may utilise, and/or be adaptedto utilise, its circuitry/ies for configuring. Allocation informationmay be considered a form of configuration data. Configuration data maycomprise and/or be represented by configuration information, and/or oneor more corresponding indications and/or message/s

Generally, configuring may include determining configuration datarepresenting the configuration and providing, e.g. transmitting, it toone or more other nodes (parallel and/or sequentially), which maytransmit it further to the radio node (or another node, which may berepeated until it reaches the wireless device). Alternatively, oradditionally, configuring a radio node, e.g., by a network node or otherdevice, may include receiving configuration data and/or data pertainingto configuration data, e.g., from another node like a network node,which may be a higher-level node of the network, and/or transmittingreceived configuration data to the radio node. Accordingly, determininga configuration and transmitting the configuration data to the radionode may be performed by different network nodes or entities, which maybe able to communicate via a suitable interface, e.g., an X2 interfacein the case of LTE or a corresponding interface for NR. Configuring aterminal may comprise scheduling downlink and/or uplink transmissionsfor the terminal, e.g. downlink data and/or downlink control signalingand/or DCI and/or uplink control or data or communication signaling, inparticular acknowledgement signaling, and/or configuring resourcesand/or a resource pool therefor.

A resource structure may be considered to be neighbored in frequencydomain by another resource structure, if they share a common borderfrequency, e.g. one as an upper frequency border and the other as alower frequency border. Such a border may for example be represented bythe upper end of a bandwidth assigned to a subcarrier n, which alsorepresents the lower end of a bandwidth assigned to a subcarrier n+1. Aresource structure may be considered to be neighbored in time domain byanother resource structure, if they share a common border time, e.g. oneas an upper (or right in the figures) border and the other as a lower(or left in the figures) border. Such a border may for example berepresented by the end of the symbol time interval assigned to a symboln, which also represents the beginning of a symbol time intervalassigned to a symbol n+1.

Generally, a resource structure being neighbored by another resourcestructure in a domain may also be referred to as abutting and/orbordering the other resource structure in the domain.

A resource structure may in general represent a structure in time and/orfrequency domain, in particular representing a time interval and afrequency interval. A resource structure may comprise and/or becomprised of resource elements, and/or the time interval of a resourcestructure may comprise and/or be comprised of symbol time interval/s,and/or the frequency interval of a resource structure may compriseand/or be comprised of subcarrier/s. A resource element may beconsidered an example for a resource structure, a slot or mini-slot or aPhysical Resource Block (PRB) or parts thereof may be considered others.A resource structure may be associated to a specific channel, e.g. aPUSCH or PUCCH, in particular resource structure smaller than a slot orPRB.

Examples of a resource structure in frequency domain comprise abandwidth or band, or a bandwidth part. A bandwidth part may be a partof a bandwidth available for a radio node for communicating, e.g. due tocircuitry and/or configuration and/or regulations and/or a standard. Abandwidth part may be configured or configurable to a radio node. Insome variants, a bandwidth part may be the part of a bandwidth used forcommunicating, e.g. transmitting and/or receiving, by a radio node. Thebandwidth part may be smaller than the bandwidth (which may be a devicebandwidth defined by the circuitry/configuration of a device, and/or asystem bandwidth, e.g. available for a RAN). It may be considered that abandwidth part comprises one or more resource blocks or resource blockgroups, in particular one or more PRBs or PRB groups. A bandwidth partmay pertain to, and/or comprise, one or more carriers. A resourcestructure may in time domain comprise and/or represent a time interval,e.g. one of more allocation units and/or symbols and/or slots and/orsubframes. In general, any reference to a symbol as a time interval maybe considered as a reference to an allocation unit as a more generalterm, unless the reference to the symbol is specific, e.g. referring toa specific division or modulation technique, or to modulation symbols astransmission structures.

A carrier may generally represent a frequency range or band and/orpertain to a central frequency and an associated frequency interval. Itmay be considered that a carrier comprises a plurality of subcarriers. Acarrier may have assigned to it a central frequency or center frequencyinterval, e.g. represented by one or more subcarriers (to eachsubcarrier there may be generally assigned a frequency bandwidth orinterval). Different carriers may be non-overlapping, and/or may beneighboring in frequency domain.

It should be noted that the term “radio” in this disclosure may beconsidered to pertain to wireless communication in general, and may alsoinclude wireless communication utilising millimeter waves, in particularabove one of the thresholds 10 GHz or 20 GHz or 50 GHz or 52 GHz or 52.6GHz or 60 GHz or 72 GHz or 100 GHz or 114 GHz. Such communication mayutilise one or more carriers, e.g. in FDD and/or carrier aggregation.Upper frequency boundaries may correspond to 300 GHz or 200 GHz or 120GHz or any of the thresholds larger than the one representing the lowerfrequency boundary.

A radio node, in particular a network node or a terminal, may generallybe any device adapted for transmitting and/or receiving radio and/orwireless signals and/or data, in particular communication data, inparticular on at least one carrier. The at least one carrier maycomprise a carrier accessed based on an LBT procedure (which may becalled LBT carrier), e.g., an unlicensed carrier. It may be consideredthat the carrier is part of a carrier aggregate.

Receiving or transmitting on a cell or carrier may refer to receiving ortransmitting utilizing a frequency (band) or spectrum associated to thecell or carrier. A cell may generally comprise and/or be defined by orfor one or more carriers, in particular at least one carrier for ULcommunication/transmission (called UL carrier) and at least one carrierfor DL communication/transmission (called DL carrier). It may beconsidered that a cell comprises different numbers of UL carriers and DLcarriers. Alternatively, or additionally, a cell may comprise at leastone carrier for UL communication/transmission and DLcommunication/transmission, e.g., in TDD-based approaches.

A channel may generally be a logical, transport or physical channel. Achannel may comprise and/or be arranged on one or more carriers, inparticular a plurality of subcarriers. A channel carrying and/or forcarrying control signaling/control information may be considered acontrol channel, in particular if it is a physical layer channel and/orif it carries control plane information. Analogously, a channel carryingand/or for carrying data signaling/user information may be considered adata channel, in particular if it is a physical layer channel and/or ifit carries user plane information. A channel may be defined for aspecific communication direction, or for two complementary communicationdirections (e.g., UL and DL, or sidelink in two directions), in whichcase it may be considered to have two component channels, one for eachdirection. Examples of channels comprise a channel for low latencyand/or high reliability transmission, in particular a channel forUltra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), which may be forcontrol and/or data.

A control region generally may comprise time and/or frequency domainresources. A control region may be intended and/or indicated and/orconfigured, e.g. with higher layer signaling, for transmission ofcontrol signaling, in particular first control signaling. A controlregion may be periodic or aperiodic; in some cases, it may repeat atcertain time intervals (e.g., within a larger time interval) or be setor triggered or indicated for limited usage, e.g. in general in relationto a timing structure like a frame structure associated to the wirelesscommunication network and/or used therein. A control region may berepresented by a CORESET or a resource set in time and/or frequencydomain. To a control region, there may be associated a search space. Thesearch space may contain and/or be based on the control region. In thisdisclosure, features associated to a control region may be associated tothe associated search space and vice versa. A search space may provideparameters and/or features associated to control signaling to beexpected and/or processed and/or received and/or transmitted on resourceof the control region, e.g. one or more signaling characteristics ofcontrol signaling associated to the search space, e.g. type of controlsignaling (e.g., format) and/or allowable aggregation level and/orpossible location in the control region. It should be noted that thecontrol region may be shifted in time domain from the perspective of thetransmitter and receiver, e.g. due to delay effects and/or travel timeof signaling. However, the same term will be used for both perspectives,as there will be an unambiguous association; in particular, thetransmitter will intend reception in the control region of the receiver.A control region and/or search space may be configured by a network,e.g. a transmitting radio node, e.g. with higher layer signaling and/orbroadcast signaling. A search space may be device-specific (e.g.,configured specifically for one device, and/or with unicast signaling)or a common search space, e.g. configured with multicast and/orbroadcast signaling. A control region may span one or more block symbolsand/or allocation units and/or have an extension in frequency domaincorresponding to a control region bandwidth and/or a plurality ofsubcarriers or resource blocks, e.g. physical and/or virtual resourceblocks. It should be noted that control signaling of the set of controlsignalings may comprise control signaling that may occupy time/frequencyresource/s (e.g., a set of resources) included in the control regionand/or search space, but do not necessarily have to use all resources ofthe control region and/or search space. In general, the control regionand/or search space may represent resources (e.g., a set oftime/frequency resources) a receiver may monitor and/or search forcontrol signaling, e.g. control signaling addressed to and/or intendedfor the receiver. Parameters and/or characteristics of the search spacemay limit and/or define the monitoring in more detail.

In general, a symbol or allocation unit may represent and/or beassociated to a symbol time length (or unit time length), which may bedependent on the carrier and/or subcarrier spacing and/or numerology ofthe associated carrier. Accordingly, a symbol may be considered toindicate a time interval having a symbol time length in relation tofrequency domain. A symbol time length may be dependent on a carrierfrequency and/or bandwidth and/or numerology and/or subcarrier spacingof, or associated to, a symbol. Accordingly, different symbols may havedifferent symbol time lengths. In particular, numerologies withdifferent subcarrier spacings may have different symbol time length.Generally, a symbol time length may be based on, and/or include, a guardtime interval or cyclic extension, e.g. prefix or postfix.

A sidelink may generally represent a communication channel (or channelstructure) between two UEs and/or terminals, in which data istransmitted between the participants (UEs and/or terminals) via thecommunication channel, e.g. directly and/or without being relayed via anetwork node. A sidelink may be established only and/or directly via airinterface/s of the participant, which may be directly linked via thesidelink communication channel. In some variants, sidelink communicationmay be performed without interaction by a network node, e.g. on fixedlydefined resources and/or on resources negotiated between theparticipants. Alternatively, or additionally, it may be considered thata network node provides some control functionality, e.g. by configuringresources, in particular one or more resource pool/s, for sidelinkcommunication, and/or monitoring a sidelink, e.g. for charging purposes.

Sidelink communication may also be referred to as device-to-device (D2D)communication, and/or in some cases as ProSe (Proximity Services)communication, e.g. in the context of LTE. A sidelink may be implementedin the context of V2x communication (Vehicular communication), e.g. V2V(Vehicle-to-Vehicle), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) and/or V2P(Vehicle-to-Person). Any device adapted for sidelink communication maybe considered a user equipment or terminal.

A sidelink communication channel (or structure) may comprise one or more(e.g., physical or logical) channels, e.g. a PSCCH (Physical SidelinkControl CHannel, which may for example carry control information like anacknowledgement position indication, and/or a PSSCH (Physical SidelinkShared CHannel, which for example may carry data and/or acknowledgementsignaling). It may be considered that a sidelink communication channel(or structure) pertains to and/or used one or more carrier/s and/orfrequency range/s associated to, and/or being used by, cellularcommunication, e.g. according to a specific license and/or standard.Participants may share a (physical) channel and/or resources, inparticular in frequency domain and/or related to a frequency resourcelike a carrier) of a sidelink, such that two or more participantstransmit thereon, e.g. simultaneously, and/or time-shifted, and/or theremay be associated specific channels and/or resources to specificparticipants, so that for example only one participant transmits on aspecific channel or on a specific resource or specific resources, e.g.,in frequency domain and/or related to one or more carriers orsubcarriers.

A sidelink may comply with, and/or be implemented according to, aspecific standard, e.g. an LTE-based standard and/or NR. A sidelink mayutilise TDD (Time Division Duplex) and/or FDD (Frequency DivisionDuplex) technology, e.g. as configured by a network node, and/orpreconfigured and/or negotiated between the participants. A userequipment may be considered to be adapted for sidelink communication ifit, and/or its radio circuitry and/or processing circuitry, is adaptedfor utilising a sidelink, e.g. on one or more frequency ranges and/orcarriers and/or in one or more formats, in particular according to aspecific standard. It may be generally considered that a Radio AccessNetwork is defined by two participants of a sidelink communication.Alternatively, or additionally, a Radio Access Network may berepresented, and/or defined with, and/or be related to a network nodeand/or communication with such a node.

Communication or communicating may generally comprise transmittingand/or receiving signaling. Communication on a sidelink (or sidelinksignaling) may comprise utilising the sidelink for communication(respectively, for signaling). Sidelink transmission and/or transmittingon a sidelink may be considered to comprise transmission utilising thesidelink, e.g. associated resources and/or transmission formats and/orcircuitry and/or the air interface. Sidelink reception and/or receivingon a sidelink may be considered to comprise reception utilising thesidelink, e.g. associated resources and/or transmission formats and/orcircuitry and/or the air interface. Sidelink control information (e.g.,SCI) may generally be considered to comprise control informationtransmitted utilising a sidelink.

Generally, carrier aggregation (CA) may refer to the concept of a radioconnection and/or communication link between a wireless and/or cellularcommunication network and/or network node and a terminal or on asidelink comprising a plurality of carriers for at least one directionof transmission (e.g. DL and/or UL), as well as to the aggregate ofcarriers. A corresponding communication link may be referred to ascarrier aggregated communication link or CA communication link; carriersin a carrier aggregate may be referred to as component carriers (CC). Insuch a link, data may be transmitted over more than one of the carriersand/or all the carriers of the carrier aggregation (the aggregate ofcarriers). A carrier aggregation may comprise one (or more) dedicatedcontrol carriers and/or primary carriers (which may e.g. be referred toas primary component carrier or PCC), over which control information maybe transmitted, wherein the control information may refer to the primarycarrier and other carriers, which may be referred to as secondarycarriers (or secondary component carrier, SCC). However, in someapproaches, control information may be sent over more than one carrierof an aggregate, e.g. one or more PCCs and one PCC and one or more SCCs.

A transmission may generally pertain to a specific channel and/orspecific resources, in particular with a starting symbol and endingsymbol in time, covering the interval therebetween. A scheduledtransmission may be a transmission scheduled and/or expected and/or forwhich resources are scheduled or provided or reserved. However, notevery scheduled transmission has to be realized. For example, ascheduled downlink transmission may not be received, or a scheduleduplink transmission may not be transmitted due to power limitations, orother influences (e.g., a channel on an unlicensed carrier beingoccupied). A transmission may be scheduled for a transmission timingsubstructure (e.g., a mini-slot, and/or covering only a part of atransmission timing structure) within a transmission timing structurelike a slot. A border symbol may be indicative of a symbol in thetransmission timing structure at which the transmission starts or ends.

Predefined in the context of this disclosure may refer to the relatedinformation being defined for example in a standard, and/or beingavailable without specific configuration from a network or network node,e.g. stored in memory, for example independent of being configured.Configured or configurable may be considered to pertain to thecorresponding information being set/configured, e.g. by the network or anetwork node.

A configuration or schedule, like a mini-slot configuration and/orstructure configuration, may schedule transmissions, e.g. for thetime/transmissions it is valid, and/or transmissions may be scheduled byseparate signaling or separate configuration, e.g. separate RRCsignaling and/or downlink control information signaling. Thetransmission/s scheduled may represent signaling to be transmitted bythe device for which it is scheduled, or signaling to be received by thedevice for which it is scheduled, depending on which side of acommunication the device is. It should be noted that downlink controlinformation or specifically DCI signaling may be considered physicallayer signaling, in contrast to higher layer signaling like MAC (MediumAccess Control) signaling or RRC layer signaling. The higher the layerof signaling is, the less frequent/the more time/resource consuming itmay be considered, at least partially due to the information containedin such signaling having to be passed on through several layers, eachlayer requiring processing and handling.

A scheduled transmission, and/or transmission timing structure like amini-slot or slot, may pertain to a specific channel, in particular aphysical uplink shared channel, a physical uplink control channel, or aphysical downlink shared channel, e.g. PUSCH, PUCCH or PDSCH, and/or maypertain to a specific cell and/or carrier aggregation. A correspondingconfiguration, e.g. scheduling configuration or symbol configuration maypertain to such channel, cell and/or carrier aggregation. It may beconsidered that the scheduled transmission represents transmission on aphysical channel, in particular a shared physical channel, for example aphysical uplink shared channel or physical downlink shared channel. Forsuch channels, semi-persistent configuring may be particularly suitable.

Generally, a configuration may be a configuration indicating timing,and/or be represented or configured with corresponding configurationdata. A configuration may be embedded in, and/or comprised in, a messageor configuration or corresponding data, which may indicate and/orschedule resources, in particular semi-persistently and/orsemi-statically.

A control region of a transmission timing structure may be an intervalin time and/or frequency domain for intended or scheduled or reservedfor control signaling, in particular downlink control signaling, and/orfor a specific control channel, e.g. a physical downlink control channellike PDCCH. The interval may comprise, and/or consist of, a number ofsymbols in time, which may be configured or configurable, e.g. by(UE-specific) dedicated signaling (which may be single-cast, for exampleaddressed to or intended for a specific UE), e.g. on a PDCCH, or RRCsignaling, or on a multicast or broadcast channel. In general, thetransmission timing structure may comprise a control region covering aconfigurable number of symbols. It may be considered that in general theborder symbol is configured to be after the control region in time. Acontrol region may be associated, e.g. via configuration and/ordetermination, to one or more specific UEs and/or formats of PDCCHand/or DCI and/or identifiers, e.g. UE identifiers and/or RNTIs orcarrier/cell identifiers, and/or be represented and/or associated to aCORESET and/or a search space.

The duration of a symbol (symbol time length or interval or allocationunit) of the transmission timing structure may generally be dependent ona numerology and/or carrier, wherein the numerology and/or carrier maybe configurable. The numerology may be the numerology to be used for thescheduled transmission.

A transmission timing structure may comprise a plurality of allocationunits or symbols, and/or define an interval comprising several symbolsor allocation units (respectively their associated time intervals). Inthe context of this disclosure, it should be noted that a reference to asymbol for ease of reference may be interpreted to refer to the timedomain projection or time interval or time component or duration orlength in time of the symbol, unless it is clear from the context thatthe frequency domain component also has to be considered. Examples oftransmission timing structures include slot, subframe, mini-slot (whichalso may be considered a substructure of a slot), slot aggregation(which may comprise a plurality of slots and may be considered asuperstructure of a slot), respectively their time domain component. Atransmission timing structure may generally comprise a plurality ofsymbols and/or allocation units defining the time domain extension(e.g., interval or length or duration) of the transmission timingstructure, and arranged neighboring to each other in a numberedsequence. A timing structure (which may also be considered orimplemented as synchronisation structure) may be defined by a successionof such transmission timing structures, which may for example define atiming grid with symbols representing the smallest grid structures. Atransmission timing structure, and/or a border symbol or a scheduledtransmission may be determined or scheduled in relation to such a timinggrid. A transmission timing structure of reception may be thetransmission timing structure in which the scheduling control signalingis received, e.g. in relation to the timing grid. A transmission timingstructure may in particular be a slot or subframe or in some cases, amini-slot. In some cases, a timing structure may be represented by aframe structure. Timing structures may be associated to specifictransmitters and/or cells and/or beams and/or signalings.

Feedback signaling may be considered a form or control signaling, e.g.uplink or sidelink control signaling, like UCI (Uplink ControlInformation) signaling or SCI (Sidelink Control Information) signaling.Feedback signaling may in particular comprise and/or representacknowledgement signaling and/or acknowledgement information and/ormeasurement reporting.

Signaling utilising, and/or on and/or associated to, resources or aresource structure may be signaling covering the resources or structure,signaling on the associated frequency/ies and/or in the associated timeinterval/s. It may be considered that a signaling resource structurecomprises and/or encompasses one or more substructures, which may beassociated to one or more different channels and/or types of signalingand/or comprise one or more holes (resource element/s not scheduled fortransmissions or reception of transmissions). A resource substructure,e.g. a feedback resource structure, may generally be continuous in timeand/or frequency, within the associated intervals. It may be consideredthat a substructure, in particular a feedback resource structure,represents a rectangle filled with one or more resource elements intime/frequency space. However, in some cases, a resource structure orsubstructure, in particular a frequency resource range, may represent anon-continuous pattern of resources in one or more domains, e.g. timeand/or frequency. The resource elements of a substructure may bescheduled for associated signaling.

Example types of signaling comprise signaling of a specificcommunication direction, in particular, uplink signaling, downlinksignaling, sidelink signaling, as well as reference signaling (e.g., SRSor CRS or CSI-RS), communication signaling, control signaling, and/orsignaling associated to a specific channel like PUSCH, PDSCH, PUCCH,PDCCH, PSCCH, PSSCH, etc.).

In some cases, a shifting object like a signaling or signals orsequences or information may be shifted, e.g. relative to a predecessor(e.g., one is subject to a shift, and the shifted version is used), orrelative to another (e.g., one associated to one signaling or allocationunit may be shifted to another associated to a second signaling orallocation unit, both may be used). One possible way of shifting isoperating a code on it, e.g. to multiply each element of a shiftingobject with a factor. A ramping (e.g. multiplying with a monotonouslyincreasing or periodic factor) may be considered an example of shifting.Another is a cyclic shift in a domain or interval. A cyclic shift (orcircular shift) may correspond to a rearrangement of the elements in theshifting object, corresponding to moving the final element or elementsto the first position, while shifting all other entries to the nextposition, or by performing the inverse operation (such that the shiftedobject as the result will have the same elements as the shifting object,in a shifted but similar order). Shifting in general may be specific toan interval in a domain, e.g. an allocation unit in time domain, or abandwidth in frequency domain. For example, it may be considered thatsignals or modulation symbols in an allocation unit are shifted, suchthat the order of the modulation symbols or signals is shifted in theallocation unit. In another example, allocation units may be shifted,e.g. in a larger time interval—this may leave signals in the allocationunits unshifted with reference to the individual allocation unit, butmay change the order of the allocation units. Domains for shifting mayfor example be time domain and/or phase domain and/or frequency domain.Multiple shifts in the same domain or different domains, and/or the sameinterval or different intervals (differently sized intervals, forexample) may be performed.

A transmitting radio node may in some variants be represented by, and/orconsidered or implemented as, a signaling radio node. A receiving radionode in some variants may be represented by, and/or considered orimplemented as, feedback radio node.

Synchronisation signaling may be provided by a transmitting (radio)node, e.g. a network node, to allow a receiving (radio) node like a userequipment to identify a cell and/or transmitter, and/or to synchroniseto the transmitter and/or cell, and/or to provide information regardingthe transmitter and/or cell. Synchronisation signaling may in generalcomprise one or more components (e.g., different types of signaling),e.g. primary synchronisation signaling (PSS) and/or secondarysynchronisation signaling (SSS) and/or broadcast signaling and/or systeminformation (e.g., on a Physical Broadcast Channel). System information(SI) may for example comprise a Master Information Block (MIB) and/orone or more System Information Blocks (SIBs), e.g. at least a SIB1. Thedifferent components may be transmitted in a block, e.g. neighboring intime and/or frequency domain. PSS may indicate a transmitter and/or cellidentity, e.g. a group of cell and/or transmitter identities the cellbelongs to. The SSS may indicate which cell and/or transmitter of thegroup the cell and/or transmitter the transmitter is associated toand/or represented by (it may be considered that more than onetransmitters are associated to the same ID, e.g. in the same cell and/orin a multiple transmission point scenario). PSS may indicate a roughertiming (larger granularity) than the SSS; synchronisation may be basedon evaluating PSS and SSS, e.g. in sequence and/or step-wise from afirst (rougher) timing to a second (finer) timing. Synchronisationsignaling, e.g. PSS and/or SSS, and/or SI may indicate a beam (e.g.,beam ID and/or number) and/or beam timing of a beam used fortransmitting the synchronisation signaling. Synchronisation signalingmay be in form of a SS/PBCH block and/or SSB. It may be considered thatsynchronisation signaling is transmitted periodically, e.g. every NP ms,e.g. NP=20, 40 or 80. In some cases, synchronisation signaling may betransmitted in bursts, e.g. such that signaling is repeated over morethan one synchronisation time interval (e.g., neighboring timeintervals, or with gaps between them); a burst may be associated to aburst interval, e.g. within a slot and/or frame and/or a number of NBallocation units, wherein NB may be 100 or less, or 50 or less, or 40 orless or 20 or less. In some cases, a synchronisation time interval maycomprise NS allocation units carrying signaling (e.g., PSS and/or SSSand/or PBCH or SI); it may be considered that a burst interval comprisesP1 (P1>=1) occasions (thus, P1-1 repetitions) of the synchronisationsignaling, and/or comprises at least P1×NS allocation units in timedomain; it may be larger than P1×NS units, e.g. to allow for gapsbetween individual occasions and/or one or more guard interval/s. Insome variants, it may comprise at least (P1+1)×NS allocation units, or(P1+2)×NS allocation units, e.g. including gaps between occasions. Thesynchronisation signaling may be transmitted on, and/or be associatedto, a synchronisation bandwidth in frequency space, which may bepredefined and/or configured or configurable (e.g., for a receivingnode). The synchronisation bandwidth may for example be 100 MHz and/or500 MHz, or 250 MHz, or another value. A synchronisation bandwidth maybe associated to and/or be arranged within a carrier and/or acommunication frequency interval. It may be considered that for eachcarrier and/or frequency interval, there are one or more possiblelocation of a synchronisation bandwidth. PSS and/or SSS may beconsidered physical layer signaling representing information withouthaving coding (e.g., error coding). Broadcast signaling, e.g. on a PBCHmay be coded, in particular comprises error coding like error correctioncoding, e.g. a CRC.

In the context of this disclosure, there may be distinguished betweendynamically scheduled or aperiodic transmission and/or configuration,and semi-static or semi-persistent or periodic transmission and/orconfiguration. The term “dynamic” or similar terms may generally pertainto configuration/transmission valid and/or scheduled and/or configuredfor (relatively) short timescales and/or a (e.g., predefined and/orconfigured and/or limited and/or definite) number of occurrences and/ortransmission timing structures, e.g. one or more transmission timingstructures like slots or slot aggregations, and/or for one or more(e.g., specific number) of transmission/occurrences. Dynamicconfiguration may be based on low-level signaling, e.g. controlsignaling on the physical layer and/or MAC layer, in particular in theform of DCI or SCI. Periodic/semi-static may pertain to longertimescales, e.g. several slots and/or more than one frame, and/or anon-defined number of occurrences, e.g., until a dynamic configurationcontradicts, or until a new periodic configuration arrives. A periodicor semi-static configuration may be based on, and/or be configured with,higher-layer signaling, in particular RCL layer signaling and/or RRCsignaling and/or MAC signaling.

In this disclosure, for purposes of explanation and not limitation,specific details are set forth (such as particular network functions,processes and signaling steps) in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the technique presented herein. It will be apparent toone skilled in the art that the present concepts and aspects may bepracticed in other variants and variants that depart from these specificdetails.

For example, the concepts and variants are partially described in thecontext of Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) or NewRadio mobile or wireless communications technologies; however, this doesnot rule out the use of the present concepts and aspects in connectionwith additional or alternative mobile communication technologies such asthe Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or IEEE standards asIEEE 802.11ad or IEEE 802.11 ay. While described variants may pertain tocertain Technical Specifications (TSs) of the Third GenerationPartnership Project (3GPP), it will be appreciated that the presentapproaches, concepts and aspects could also be realized in connectionwith different Performance Management (PM) specifications.

Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the services,functions and steps explained herein may be implemented using softwarefunctioning in conjunction with a programmed microprocessor, or using anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Digital SignalProcessor (DSP), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or generalpurpose computer. It will also be appreciated that while the variantsdescribed herein are elucidated in the context of methods and devices,the concepts and aspects presented herein may also be embodied in aprogram product as well as in a system comprising control circuitry,e.g. a computer processor and a memory coupled to the processor, whereinthe memory is encoded with one or more programs or program products thatexecute the services, functions and steps disclosed herein.

It is believed that the advantages of the aspects and variants presentedherein will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and itwill be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,constructions and arrangement of the exemplary aspects thereof withoutdeparting from the scope of the concepts and aspects described herein orwithout sacrificing all of its advantageous effects. The aspectspresented herein can be varied in many ways.

Some useful abbreviations comprise

Abbreviation Explanation ACK/NACK Acknowledgment/NegativeAcknowledgement ARQ Automatic Repeat reQuest BER Bit Error Rate BLERBlock Error Rate BPSK Binary Phase Shift Keying BWP BandWidth Part CAZACConstant Amplitude Zero Cross Correlation CB Code Block CBB Code BlockBundle CBG Code Block Group CDM Code Division Multiplex CM Cubic MetricCORESET Control Resource Set CQI Channel Quality Information CRC CyclicRedundancy Check CRS Common reference signal CSI Channel StateInformation CSI-RS Channel state information reference signal DAIDownlink Assignment Indicator DCI Downlink Control Information DFTDiscrete Fourier Transform DFTS-FDM DFT-spread-FDM DM(-)RS Demodulationreference signal(ing) eMBB enhanced Mobile BroadBand FDD FrequencyDivision Duplex FDE Frequency Domain Equalisation FDF Frequency DomainFiltering FDM Frequency Division Multiplex HARQ Hybrid Automatic RepeatRequest IAB Integrated Access and Backhaul IFFT Inverse Fast FourierTransform IR Impulse Response ISI Inter Symbol Interference MBB MobileBroadband MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme MIMOMultiple-input-multiple-output MRC Maximum-ratio combining MRTMaximum-ratio transmission MU-MIMO Multiusermultiple-input-multiple-output OFDM/A Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiplex/ Multiple Access PAPR Peak to Average Power Ratio PDCCHPhysical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared ChannelPRACH Physical Random Access CHannel PRB Physical Resource Block PUCCHPhysical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel(P)SCCH (Physical) Sidelink Control Channel PSS Primary SynchronisationSignal(ing) PT-RS Phase Tracking Reference Signaling (P)SSCH (Physical)Sidelink Shared Channel QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation OCCOrthogonal Cover Code QPSK Quadrature Phase Shift Keying PSD PowerSpectral Density RAN Radio Access Network RAT Radio Access Technology RBResource Block RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC RadioResource Control RX Receiver, Reception, Reception-related/side SAScheduling Assignment SC-FDE Single Carrier Frequency DomainEqualisation SC-FDM/A Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplex/Multiple Access SCI Sidelink Control Information SINRSignal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio SIR Signal-to-interference ratioSNR Signal-to-noise-ratio SR Scheduling Request SRS Sounding ReferenceSignal(ing) SSS Secondary Synchronisation Signal(ing) SVD Singular-valuedecomposition TB Transport Block TDD Time Division Duplex TDM TimeDivision Multiplex T-RS Tracking Reference Signaling or Timing ReferenceSignaling TX Transmitter, Transmission, Transmission-related/side UCIUplink Control Information UE User Equipment URLLC Ultra Low LatencyHigh Reliability Communication VL-MIMO Very-largemultiple-input-multiple-output ZF Zero Forcing ZP Zero-Power, e.g. mutedCSI-RS symbol

Abbreviations may be considered to follow 3G PP usage if applicable.

1. A method of operating a radio node in a wireless communicationnetwork, the method comprising: communicating utilising data signalingaccording to a signaling structure, the signaling structure comprising asignaling time interval covering a plurality of subsequent allocationunits, each of the allocation units of the signaling time intervalhaving associated one of reference signaling and a part of one of one ormore data blocks, there being associated reference signaling to twoallocation units separated by a separation interval.
 2. A radio node fora wireless communication network, the radio node configured to:communicate utilising data signaling according to a signaling structure,the signaling structure comprising a signaling time interval covering aplurality of subsequent allocation units, each of the allocation unitsof the signaling time interval having associated one of referencesignaling and a part of one of one or more data blocks, there beingassociated reference signaling to two allocation units separated by aseparation interval.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each ofthe one or more data blocks corresponds to a code block bundle.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the separationinterval is dependent on at least one of a number of data blocks, amodulation scheme, and a coding scheme used for transmitting the datasignaling.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of anumber of data blocks and size of one or more of the data blocks isdependent on at least one of a modulation scheme and a coding schemeused for transmitting the data signaling.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, wherein at least one of a number of data blocks and a size ofthe one or more data blocks is from a set of numbers containing numbersdividing the number of allocation units of the separation interval. 7.The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference signaling isDemodulation Reference Signaling, DMRS, associated to the data blocks.8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signaling structure ispart of an extended signaling structure comprising one or moreadditional allocation units associated to reference signaling.
 9. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein one allocation unit associated toreference signaling is embedded, in time domain, into at least one ofone data block, and between two data blocks.
 10. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the data blocks are transmitted with the samemodulation and coding scheme.
 11. The method according to claim 1,wherein the separation interval is at least one of dependent on andbased on at least one of a number of data blocks, a size of the datablocks a modulation scheme and a coding scheme the data blocks aretransmitted with.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein theposition in time domain of one or more of the allocation unitsassociated to reference signaling is at least one of dependent on andbased on at least one of a number of data blocks, a size of the datablocks, a modulation scheme and a coding scheme the data blocks aretransmitted with.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein each datablock is associated to a different acknowledgement signaling process.14. A computer storage medium storing instructions that, when executed,cause processing circuitry to at least one of control and perform amethod, the method comprising: communicating utilising data signalingaccording to a signaling structure, the signaling structure comprising asignaling time interval covering a plurality of subsequent allocationunits, each of the allocation units of the signaling time intervalhaving associated one of reference signaling and a part of one of one ormore data blocks, there being associated reference signaling to twoallocation units separated by a separation interval.
 15. (canceled) 16.The radio node according to claim 2, wherein each of the one or moredata blocks corresponds to a code block bundle.
 17. The radio nodeaccording to claim 2, wherein the duration of the separation interval isdependent on at least one of a number of data blocks, a modulationscheme, and a coding scheme used for transmitting the data signaling.18. The radio node according to claim 2, wherein at least one of anumber of data blocks and size of one or more of the data blocks isdependent on at least one of a modulation scheme and a coding schemeused for transmitting the data signaling.
 19. The radio node accordingto claim 2, wherein at least one of a number of data blocks and a sizeof the one or more data blocks is from a set of numbers containingnumbers dividing the number of allocation units of the separationinterval.
 20. The radio node according to claim 2, wherein the referencesignaling is Demodulation Reference Signaling, DMRS, associated to thedata blocks.
 21. The radio node according to claim 2, wherein thesignaling structure is part of an extended signaling structurecomprising one or more additional allocation units associated toreference signaling.